Mean Green
by WoHoYo
Summary: "You're a male prostitute, aren't you?" That's what Rukia asked Ichigo. She wasn't looking for a good time, instead she wanted advice - advice on how to get the man she liked, Renji, to like her back. In return for Ichigo's help, she'd pay for his living expenses. With this 'deal,' will an unexpected love blossom? Rukia x Ichigo
1. Mean Green

"And this is my condo. Feel free to-"

The man dropped his luggage with a loud thump. In a blur, he ran across the room, checking every corner of the place without missing a bit. He made sure to touch every piece of furniture and enjoy the view from the balcony before this 'dream' ended. He was positive that all of this was an illusion. "This is unbelievable!" He skydived onto the couch, smothering his face into the expensive cushions.

"Make yourself at home..." She finished her previous sentence. Waiting for him to take a moment to breathe in the situation, she drank a warm glass of herbal tea, watching him flopping and rolling across the wooden floor. "You should take a shower later and-"

Before she could finish her sentence again, he rushed to do what she asked. He couldn't wait to test the water.

* * *

**One Shower Later**

Ichigo Kurosaki, as that was his name, ate quite comfortably while ignoring the woman who had taken him under her wing. "This really isn't my imagination," he ran his finger across his steak, feeling it hot and greasy beneath his touch. Finally noticing the presence of the girl, he looked at her with little care. "Ah, you're still here?"

"Of course I am. We are sharing this place together. Have you forgotten the terms you agreed on earlier?" She definitely wasn't going to put up with some dirt bag. She pushed her glasses up as they rested on the bridge of her nose, "If you don't meet my expectations, I will have you thrown out immediately." Ichigo couldn't deny it; she was an intense person. Her strict demeanor and hulk-like behavior was really something else.

He laughed at her as she glared. "Of course I haven't forgotten, Ms. Kuchiki."

* * *

**Three Hours Earlier**

Rukia Kuchiki discovered a man outside the building where she worked at. Her first impression of him wasn't so great; he looked like a stray dog under the wet rain. However, she remembered seeing him a few times around the city. Of course, the reason why she couldn't forget a person like him was because 1) He was always arm-in-arm with a woman and 2) He was amazingly beautiful.

Ichigo had abnormal orange hair and a look that always seemed to be scowling. Everything about him was handsome; it was no doubt he had a prince-like quality to him. Despite his intimidating features, he was quite the immature person.

Anyway, Rukia's intuition was almost never wrong. "You're a male prostitute, aren't you?" That was the first thing she asked him as she held the umbrella over his head. With a smirk and smart-ass attitude, he nodded, giving her a smooch from below. In her business attire and with the way she presented herself, he knew she was rich. What made him more surprised was why a woman like her would pick up trash like him off the street. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to ask for sex."

"Then what is it you want from me? Or do you pity me?" His hands curled from being looked down. He hated it most when people of her kind looked at him with disapproval.

She shook her head no. She could care less about his state. "Advice... I want advice from you to get the man I like to return my feelings." Surely, she was asking the wrong person. How would a man know how to get into the heart of another man? "You're experienced, right? I expect you know what men like and what they love most."

"Darling, that would be breasts, ass, and sex." His eyes looked up and down at her with pervertedness; he couldn't take her seriously. It was hilarious to see someone so civilized and obedient ask for such obvious things. She had no experience in men, he concluded.

Taking in a deep breath to stay composed, she finally said, "In return for your help, I'll share with you a nice home. You won't have to worry about any payments for food, shelter, necessities, luxuries-"

"Really? Sharing a home together? You've got guts to do this with a stranger. Fine with me. But I must say, I'll be bringing home lots of women. You won't mind?"

He expected her to turn red and run off in embarrassment. Yes, no one could stand his barbaric self. "It won't be a problem."

She wasn't bothered by him at all. Although he was completely blunt and rude, it seemed like a mosquito or a fly would be a bigger pest than he. Snatching the umbrella from her, he stood up. There was a huge height difference between them; she barely reached his chest. "A bad boy living with a good girl? This'll be interesting."

* * *

**Present**

"So what's the poor man's name?" Ichigo asked, pretending to care about her affairs as most of his attention was focused on the television- "Hey! I was still watching," He barked at Rukia as she turned off the cartoon. "You're not cute at all. It's no wonder this guy doesn't like you." She was still unphased with his tormenting.

Rukia sat across from him. She laid out the man's photo, "This is Renji Abarai. He was a classmate in high school." He nodded, opening his mouth to ask questions only to have his jaw drop when she whipped out a load of paper. "He's currently unemployed and lives a few miles from here. He's a type A and his birthday is on August 31. We're both twenty-three years old. We're still in contact; sometimes we go grab a cup of coffee-"

"Hold on!" He shouted, sending the papers flying in the air. "This is..." She was insane and clearly was a robot. "You're really scary. First of all, his blood type and birthday shouldn't affect how he feels about you. The _'thing' _that would affect how he feels would be you yourself."

Rukia pondered for a second. She never really thought it was her own self that made him not like her. She thought that perhaps it had something to do with his genes and social life. Perhaps she was too much of a businesswoman. "I'm sorry. I work with data a lot and so it comes naturally for me to think about statistics and facts..."

She was hopeless. Ichigo thought it was a miracle for the guy to even give her a second look. He looked at the photo she gave him of Renji - he was a typical looking guy, excluding his crimson hair. However, with the way Rukia was now, even Renji was out of her league. He looked back up at Rukia to see her fumbling for once. "You really like this guy don't you?" He teased, seeing her face tint red for the first time. "You act all high and mighty but in truth you're just a school girl in love."

She felt ashamed to be asking him for help. For goodness sake, he was two years younger than her (21 years old) and a male prostitute! She barely knew the guy and he was a total jerk but there was no denying it - she was desperate.

"Though I must say," he continued, "he's an idiot for not marrying someone like you." She raised her head - a compliment? Did she really just get praised by- "I mean, you're damn rich!" He roared in laughter. Of course, in the end, all that matters to the bird brain man is money. "First off, your looks suck. Get rid of the glare and that ponytail! And stop dressing like you're better than everyone else - you're a woman, dress like one!"

Too slow to react, she only realized he had yanked off her hair band when her eyes were covered by her bangs. Her hair fell apart and a few buttons of her shirt became undone. "Stop this radical behavior of yours."

He observed her, tilting his head to get a better angle of her. "Hm... Much better. Maybe we can cut your hair; it's a mess. A new wardrobe is a must too..."

Her heart fell weak. Ichigo was proposing great ideas, but she was afraid of drastic change. Would Renji be able to recognize her? Would she turn out to look like a fool? "So you're asking me to throw on makeup and look like a goddess so that he'll fall for me?"

Ichigo couldn't laugh; he felt too sorry for her to make fun of her. It was pitiful to see her looking like a cat that was dumped with a bucket of cold water. "Look, I'd be lying if I said looks don't matter. However, what I'm proposing isn't a lot. What you really need to change is that pessimistic and stiff attitude of yours; personality, in the end, is what gets the job done. No guy likes a girl who isn't confident in herself."

Con... fidence? Where would she be able to find something like that? She locked eyes with his caramel-colored ones. Although it was his job to help her, she couldn't help but feel like he did so much more than just that... "Thank-"

His phone began ringing, disrupting the silence. "Ah, hello? Tonight? It's fine. I gotta you show you my new hideout! Come on over," he hung up, dashing into his luggage to find 'stuff' for the night.

Rukia could obviously tell it was a client. "I'll leave you and whoever's coming alone. I'm sure I wouldn't want to be in the same room," she grabbed her keys, "and don't cause trouble." He waved, happy to get rid of her. Having the place all to himself and to boast about it to his client - he really was living the dream.

Leaving, she couldn't but imagine what they would do. Of course, they would do dirty things but... She tried to think of something else but her curiosity kept getting the best of her. Did she approve of him selling his body to people? She couldn't say. He had his reasons and it was his choice, she didn't have a right to judge his actions. It just made her question herself: would she ever be able to make love to someone she had no feelings for? She was disgusted by the thought.

"Ah, Rukia!" She turned back to see Ichigo pointing to his chin, "Chin up! Stop looking at the ground. Remember - _confidence_!" He hammered into her head before closing the door.

Rukia sighed, forcing to look up. She felt so silly. Change is never easy, but if it would get the person she loved to look at her the same way she looked at him... It would be worth it. "Chin up... Confidence," she repeated as she headed to a hotel for the night.

* * *

**Next Day**

Rukia sat at the local cafe. She usually came to this place in the mornings to grab a cup of coffee. She usually didn't like sitting alone when there were a lot of pairs in the cafe - it made her look like a complete loner and currently, there were a lot of couples and yes, she was completely isolated from human contact.

She looked around, hoping she didn't look strange sitting by herself. She tried to keep her mind off things, but when she spaced out, she could only wonder if Ichigo was done with... Well of course he is. He couldn't have lasted all night and in the morning. "I hope he changes the sheets-"

"Rukia? It is you! What a coincidence." She jumped at the voice, recognizing it. The soothing quality it had; she couldn't forget it. Renji sat beside her; she thanked heaven for sending him to her at such a great time. Now she wouldn't look so lonely in her table. "I almost didn't recognize you with your hair down. You look good," the wrinkles around his mouth weren't obvious when he smiled, but she always noticed them because she remembered his face so well.

"Do you want a cup of coffee? I'll order you one," Rukia offered kindly. Around other men, she was cold and quiet but around him... She was shy and timid. He accepted her gesture, "I haven't seen you in a week. When are you free? We should go catch another movie." Ever since they were friends, they would always take a trip to the theaters.

He pondered for a second before nodding, "Since I'm unemployed now, my schedule is always open." He sighed, looking quite upset for a brief second. When the coffee came, Rukia urged him to drink, hoping to get his mind off things. He took a few sips before speaking quietly. "Truth is Rukia... I'm struggling. I know I've asked you too many times but-"

"You need another loan?" She was quick to guess. He nodded, embarrassed. She didn't think twice before whipping out her check, "If it's to help a friend, I don't mind. Back in high school, you were my only friend... Just think of this returning a favor. Don't be ashamed," she even bothered to comfort him.

He bowed his head, truly thankful. "I promise I'll owe you back one day." He reached into his pocket, "Ah... I forgot my wallet again."

Rukia's naive love for the man tempted her to be generous towards him, "I'll pay for you, no worries." Her job had landed her a huge salary - something like coffee wasn't a big deal. She signed off ten grand to him, "I hope you'll manage with just this."

He accepted it, thanking her thrice before leaving the shop.

* * *

**Later**

Rukia settled down on the leather couch; Renji never left her mind. "Oh you're back... I cleaned the sheets. I wouldn't sit there if I were you; I haven't cleaned that couch yet-" She immediately stood up, though was too dazed to bark at him. "Your facial expression... Is that how a woman looks like when she's in love?" For some reason, it didn't really seem like he was asking a question. It was more like he was... Amazed.

"You haven't seen someone who looks in love before?" She finally snapped out of her trance. He shook his head.

"All the women I meet are just in it for sex. Nothing more." He spoke with little care. What he said made Rukia a bit... Sad. She couldn't believe that this guy who slept with probably hundreds of women had never met a sincere one.

So many questions she was prompted to ask but she could only bring herself to ask two, "Have you ever fallen in love before?" He looked at her as though he just saw something dreadful. He immediately replied no. "Is it because of your job?"

"There are multiple reasons why. Women are complicated creatures who I don't like to get too involved with. Plus, it gets in the way of my job. Also, I believe that there does not exist a woman who is able to move me."

Actually, she had a third question, "How are you able to prostitute? If it were me, I'd bawl my eyes out every time I would have to have intercourse with a stranger."

"People are willing to do anything for money. After the first time, the rest is no biggie. Now," he pushed her towards the door, "let's have a makeover."

Rukia couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She didn't have the heart to ask him if he was okay with it all, otherwise he'd get angry. It bothered her dearly how someone could sell themselves into the night - did they not love themselves? She wished he would respect himself some more. Although he taught her that confidence was important... With the way things were, it felt like he was sleeping with others because he had no confidence in himself.

* * *

**Later**

"I'm liking this look," Ichigo was pleased with his very own 'masterpiece.' "This is my type of girl. Classy and beautiful," He nodded in approval. For a 'bad boy' type, Rukia found it hard to believe that he would be into the elegant type of woman.

The day ended in success as both the two of them got new wardrobes and she came out with a new appearance. With much struggling, she was able to lose the old her and become someone different.

She looked exactly how Ichigo pictured: her hair was sharp and medium-length, her clothes were stylish and had the right balance between girly and tough, and most importantly... She looked confident. "Is this good-"

She tripped over her own heels. "We'll work on your catwalk."

"I-Is this really alright? I feel like everyone's staring." Uncomfortable... She felt so out of place. When her co workers see her like this, she feared they'd laugh at her and think she was trying too hard to impress someone. "I should revert back-"

"I dare you," he threatened. With the long day of dealing with her tantrums, like hell was he going to let her drop the mission. "You're my masterpiece! Of course you'd be making everyone turn heads. That being said, you better not put me to shame-"

"Turn heads? That doesn't sound too good," she trotted behind him like a horse. One misstep and she could fall and break an ankle. Walking in heels was worse than walking on glass. "I wonder what Renji will think of me when he sees me... I hope he doesn't laugh," she buried her hands into her face.

Ichigo sighed in annoyance, "If he laughs, he's gay!"

Rukia turned ill. It would shatter her forever. She'd be fine with it, but to be dumped in that way... "Don't say that... I'm really hoping he'll return my feelings."

"So what happens if in the end he doesn't? Do I get to keep the condo?" Ichigo didn't even consider her thoughts. He just cared about the money after all. She expected no less. Rukia hadn't even thought about being rejected. She was too focused on making the impossible possible that she completely ignored the possible outcomes of the mission.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see the woman quiet and deep in thought. He only realized then how much the man mattered to her. Only to Renji did she show another side to him that nobody knew about and only to him did she look at with adoring eyes. It sort of made him envious. "I'll try harder to get him. Whatever it takes."

He eyed her for quite a while before walking again. "That determination is what'll be your demise."

"Demise? How so-" She gasped, jumping into the alley behind a trash can. Ichigo only realized she had disappeared when he found himself talking alone. Groaning, he yanked her out from her 'fort.' When asked why she did something so dumb, she could only point with a shaky finger at a man, "It's Renji..."

The world really was a small place. To encounter him twice in the same day... Ichigo flicked her on the forehead, "Dimwit. You're doing this all for him aren't you? So why are you hiding now?" He pushed her into the sidewalk. She was nearly thrown against Renji.

Renji looked at her, apologizing. Rukia stammered before him. What would he say to her? Would he fall in love with her? Or would he look at her in disgust? Instead of all of those, he continued to walk. Ah... He didn't recognize her. She felt like an idiot, finally calling out to him. "Renji! It's me, Rukia."

The man stopped, turning back to look at her. This time, he stared with a little more care in his eyes. It took seconds, although it felt like an eternity, for him to finally light up his eyes. "Rukia? Is that really you?" He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't going insane. "Wow... You made a big change - and in only a few hours since I last saw you."

She felt so vulnerable in his gaze. For the first time, he was looking at her with significance. "R-right? I don't look like an idiot, do I?" She dusted her coat and brushed her hair to the side. Renji laughed, shaking his head.

"You look young. It must've taken a lot of courage to make such a change huh?" She blushed, wishing she had enough guts to tell him that it was he himself who gave her that courage. "You worked hard. Well, I really must get going now," he looked at his watch.

Rukia felt a tremor in her heart. He was going to leave, just like that. "M-movies... Would you like to go to the movies?" She hoped with just going out for a little fun, perhaps he would see her as a woman.

"I'm sorry, I really can't make it. Maybe next time. Oh, and thanks again for earlier today. You're really saving me - I promise I'll pay back the loan you gave me!"

* * *

**Later**

"Yeah, he's really gay," Ichigo shook his head while eating dinner. Rukia, who sat in front of him at the table, could only defend Renji.

"He's not! He's sincere, that's all. I would've been depressed if he instantly fell for me just because I had a makeover," she stabbed at her food, imagining the food was Ichigo. A deep groan left his lips; Rukia was really naive. She was whipped.

After today's makeover, she felt like the gap between her and Renji shortened. For once, their relationship was starting to move forward. "Sincere, riiight~ So he tells you you look young and rejects your invitation to a date. That's _really _something a guy would do. I'm guessing this guy never even touched a woman!"

Rukia could only shoot him a glare. "You're a playboy, that's why you think that way. Renji is modest and looks for a kind heart. However, you on the other hand," she sneered at him, "you only look for someone with sex appeal and money."

Ichigo laughed, stomping his foot on the ground, "So what you're saying is you have no heart, that's why Renji doesn't like you. If I recall, earlier he said you gave him a loan. Guess I'm not the only one interested in money-"

"Renji has his reasons! Besides, he said he'd pay me back-"

"Are you judging me now? You saying I don't have my reasons?" He slammed his fist on the table, causing Rukia to jump a bit.

She took a while to respond. She wasn't sure if it'd be wise to say something about him prostituting. He was her only hope to make Renji fall in love with her and he was a stranger. If he wanted to, he could do something to her. "Forget it..."

"No, tell me. I want to hear what you have to say." He stood up, walking up behind her and grabbing her tense shoulders, whispering into her ear, "You think I'll screw anyone who has a few bucks on them to offer, don't you? You're looking at me as though I'm messed up."

He turned her around to see her, and when he did, he saw tears streaming down her face. The makeup she wore smeared and she looked so pitiful. She wasn't crying because she was scared, she was crying because she thought it was such a waste for someone so beautiful like him to throw himself away like that... "What are your reasons then?"

His grip loosened on her. It was usually against his principles to lay a hand on a woman, "I don't have an obligation to tell my life's story to you. Instead of trying to investigate my life, why don't you go bother Renji. Ask him what his reasons for talking to you are - I bet you he's just into your money." He let her go, grabbing his coat before leaving out the door.

Rukia became quiet, wiping her tears. "Renji is kind... He's not in for my money."

* * *

**Next Day**

"Good work everybody," Rukia told her co workers before leaving her company building. That day, everyone complimented her on her new look. She knew they weren't making fun of her; she was happy. Little by little, she was being reborn into someone else.

As she walked home, she worried about Ichigo. Had he come back? After last night, she hadn't heard a word from him. His stuff was still at her place, but she wondered if he was still angry with her. Perhaps when she returned home, all his stuff would be gone and they'll never meet again. Their contract would be over and she would have to fight her love battle alone.

Reaching her condo, she opened the door to find that everything was left the same. He hadn't returned- "Ah, Ichigo!" She saw him dragging himself out of the bathroom. "What happened to you? You look like a mess," she noticed the cuts and bruises all over him. The blood on his clothing was obvious and it was clear that someone had attacked him.

He groaned to see her. Apparently he was hoping to get in and sneak out without her noticing. "Thank goodness you're not someone worth impressing, otherwise I'd have to worry about looking uncool," he collapsed on the couch. Too worried to care, she rushed to find the first aid kit. When asked what happened, he responded with, "Some idiot with a bunch of punks jumped me when he found out I slept with his girl."

Seeing him so disheveled made her at least respect him a little for what he does. Prostituting was easy money but at the same time very hard to the person doing it. With a wet cloth, she wiped away his blood. It was awkward being so physically close after their fight. In his condition, she couldn't leave him alone due to their differences. "I admire you," she finally spoke. He was confused by what she meant, "I mean... not saying I think prostituting is anything to be proud of, but because of the things you go through because of it. Only someone brave enough would be able to do it."

She avoided looking him in the eye. Her attention only focused on his cuts; she applied ointment to each one, blowing on his wounds to ease the pain. She placed a band-aid on a cut over his brow; he was little surprised by what she said. Her being so close wasn't helping him relax either. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her. It was the first time someone said something positive about what he did for a living.

Rukia was puzzled when he closed in on her. Her heart pumped adrenaline when she saw his eyes close and his lips pucker a little. Would he... She pulled away from his grasp. "I-I'll let you tend the rest of your wounds," she walked away. Had Renji's image not appeared in the back of her mind... Would Ichigo really have kissed her?

She feared thinking about it. In her mind, she tried telling herself it was just a misunderstanding. He would never kiss a person like her unless she offered him money. Right, she was just over thinking the situation. She laughed to herself, feeling like an idiot for thinking he was going to kiss her. She wasn't going to make the mistake of being overconfident and assume that he was going to plant a smooch on her.

Ichigo on the other hand was beating himself up over what he was about to do. "She's so tsundere - I really am getting lonely," he shook, feeling gross. He assumed he was desperate for body contact, that's why he tried to seduce her. "She'd be the last person I'd ever screw with."

* * *

**Few Weeks Later**

"What is with these people? They see something suspicious looking and they go right towards it!" Ichigo threw up his arms. He lost all faith in humans, "This is why stupid people die early." He and Rukia both watched a movie together in their condo late at night.

While he was screaming in blasphemy, Rukia was watching with great entertainment. On a night when both of them had nothing to do, they would watch a movie or play a game.

Ichigo looked over to see her curl up in a ball. It was no doubt she was an idiot, but the time they spent together were... Nice. Like this, it seemed like they were a real family. Last time, he tried to kiss her but she managed to stop him. He was glad she did, otherwise the two of them would never be able to spend time together normally. Although he'd never admit, he enjoyed these times. He never had a real family but she was able to give him that.

"What?" Rukia asked, noticing his stares. He was caught by surprise, immediately looking away while calling her a freak. She couldn't understand him at all. "I hope they find their friend," she commented on the movie, sighing.

"For a business woman, it's surprising you actually spend time doing these sorts of things."

"Aren't you stereotyping me too much? I know how to have some fun-" Her phone rang; Renji was calling. She gasped like a fish out of water. "He-hello?" Her voice became soft. She melted hearing him say her name. Ichigo understood why no men liked her. She was completely abnormal. "Y-you want to meet? You're outside my house?" She panicked, dropping the phone.

"Idiot!" Ichigo shoved the phone back into her hand. It was clearly obvious she was head over heels for him.

"I'm coming down," she hung up, running to grab a coat. She threw off her glasses, fixing her hair and changing out of her pyjamas, "Do I look okay?" She asked. Ichigo gestured her to move so he could see the movie. Sighing, she left downstairs.

For some reason, Ichigo couldn't help but feel the need to poke his nose into her business. "Hmph. I'm not going to tell her what happens in the movie," he leaned back, putting his feet on the table.

* * *

**Days Later**

"I'm home~" Rukia called, taking her shoes off while looking for a certain male. Ichigo stuck his head into the fridge, searching for anything to eat. "You're still home?"

He looked back at her in irritation. "I'm sorry I'm such an eyesore, Ms. Kuchiki," he rolled his eyes. In the end, he made himself a sandwich. She laughed. It bothered him to see her so up in the clouds. "You've been smiling lately," he ripped his food apart. Seeing her so bubbly made him sick to the stomach.

"I saw Renji today again," she fixed her lipstick. Indeed, she was a changed person. "I really must thank you." Had she never invited him into her home, she'd probably eating a gallon of ice cream out of depression. "I feel sorry looking at you. You remind me of my old self-"

"Like hell I do," he was offended. This girl who used to be so clueless was now making fun of him, unbelievable. "When is our little deal going to be done? From what you're saying, he's practically in the palm of your hands. Why don't you just give me the condo already and leave?"

Rukia raised a brow. "Not until we're officially dating. Then when the time comes, I'll be out of your life completely."

Ichigo couldn't pinpoint it, but he felt so little in her eyes. "You sure are able to say that without much trouble." He thought that perhaps... No, what is he thinking? For her to feel something for him - what a joke. "I need a good banging tonight. Maybe I'll call someone to get my mind off things."

"You said dates with you aren't for free last time, right?" Rukia asked, sitting next to him while preparing a sandwich as well. He raised a brow, nodding. "I was thinking maybe we should go out for fun today. I never see you out in the sunlight. I don't know what it is, but I feel like something good will happen if we go out today. So," she gulped down a glass of milk, "how much will it cost to rent you for the whole day?"

He laughed at her proposal. She was willing to pay for his company? "Ten grand." With that, surely she'll leave him alone. He didn't want to hang around with the likes of her in public-

"Ok," she wrote a check, "let's go."

* * *

**At the Amusement Park**

"I think I lost my spine back there," Rukia buried her face into a brown bag, ready to hurl out the sandwich from earlier. The rollercoaster had sent them flying left to right and she was sure half her life span was gone.

Ichigo sat beside her, holding her hair back. She gave a loud belch and finally, all the stuff she ate in the past hour came back up. "There there..." He hid behind his shades while others looked at them, pointing at Rukia in worry. "She's fine," he assured them. "I told you you were too weak for the ride," he handed her a bottle of water.

She gurgled it down, giving a weak smile, "I wanted to ride something scary with you, that's all. I think it was worth it because you seemed happy for once- uhh.. I feel it coming again," she stuck her face back in the bag again.

He called her stupid, but secretly, he was... a little touched. She risked her life to make sure he enjoyed himself - it was a brave act indeed. "Here, chew some gum." She thanked him, taking the mint stick.

"Don't laugh at me or assume that I like you, but when you said you were going to have sex for money again tonight, I used this 'date' as an excuse to stop you. It wasn't really because I thought something good was going to come out of this date."

The old him would've been pissed at her answer. He would've assumed she was shaking her head at him in disapproval since she stopped him from prostituting. "Why'd you stop me then?" Rukia couldn't tell what he was thinking since his eyes were blocked by the sunglasses... but she felt this was the same as last time when he tried to kiss her.

If she didn't stop him out of liking him, then why did she? For once, Ichigo realized it. From the moment he tried to kiss her up to now, he denied it all, but really... He liked her. This girl who he saw as a naive and innocent businesswoman, someone with nothing appealing at all, was the one girl who was capable of moving him. That girl who he thought never existed, existed. She was right here before him.

When she didn't answer, he moved a bit closer, "I think something good came out of today's date." He hoped that she would tell him that she stopped him because she liked him or she was feeling jealous that he would sleep with someone else. Anything, just a hint that she cared about him was enough.

She laughed, "Why are you so serious? I only did it because you seemed so tired of the same routine. I'm just helping a friend out," she patted his back. He fell silent. She didn't understand his feelings at all. "Ah, but what happened to you today to make you say that? Did you meet a nice girl?" She winked.

He wanted to hit her for being so dense. She was happy for him and yet he couldn't help but feel alone. If he told her, she would only push him away. "I-"

"Rukia! Wow.. I'm starting to feel like you're stalking me. You're everywhere I go," Renji showed up in front of them. He looked over to Ichigo, "Is this a friend of yours?"

Rukia panicked. If he saw them together like that, he'd assume that she and Ichigo were dating. "N-no. He's a... A relative." His fists clenched at the lie. Renji smiled, extending out a hand to greet Rukia's 'relative.'

"It's nice to meet you," Renji said. Ichigo looked at the hand in disgust. He looked over at Rukia almost as though he were asking if it was safe to shake his hand. She eyed him, urging him to. To think that almost a month ago, he was helping her to catch this guy's attention. Ichigo never expected to fall for Rukia himself. How was he going to try and get Renji to love Rukia back when he developed feelings for her?

To stand at the sidelines and and support her love for Renji was going to be unbearable, but he didn't want her to end up hating him. Finally, he grabbed Renji's hand, "My name's Ichigo Kurosaki..." For the moment, he could only play stupid and stay still, no matter how much he wanted to break Renji's hand.

Both Rukia and Renji were oblivious to the glare Ichigo was sending them. They talked in bliss, ignoring his presence. "Actually, since I'm here," Renji spoke while Rukia listened eagerly, "I'd like to take up on that offer last time. You said you wanted to see the movies?"

Both Rukia and Ichigo reacted. Her eyes bulged in surprise while Ichigo's hand crushed the cup of soda. "I'm free tomorrow. You can pick me up at eight. I'll be looking forward to it," she sighed in joy as Renji smiled, leaving the two to their own. Ichigo looked grossed out to see her so in love. "Eh? What's wrong? Your soda-"

"It's nothing," he stormed off.

* * *

**Next Day**

"Who would've thought that something good really would happen!" Rukia undressed herself in her room while Ichigo waited in the living room, "Does this look okay?" Rukia swayed side to side in her nude colored dress, "You don't think it's too-"

"You look like you're begging for sex," Ichigo bluntly put, crossing his arms. He didn't even look at her. She felt something was wrong with his attitude, but she assumed it was just because no one has been calling for his 'business.'

She sat next to him, "Or is it because that girl you met yesterday won't look at you too?" She still thought he met a girl the other day at the park. Well, she wasn't completely wrong. He did 'meet' a girl who he started looking at with interest. "It's okay, I was once in your position. But," she assured him, "with hard work, she'll eventually come to like you too."

Ichigo finally looked at her. She was beautiful. It bothered him to know that she was dolling up for Renji only. "Well then tell me, since you know what girls like, how can I become someone likeable? If I tried to get you to like me, what would I have to do for that to happen?"

Rukia was surprised he would even use her as a model. She brushed his feet off the table, "Manners are nice. Besides that, the only thing I would change about you is..." She scooted to the left when she saw how close he was to her. "Don't be mad when I say it, but... I wouldn't be too fond of having a boyfriend who is selling himself to other girls. It'd make me jealous."

"So if I became a gentleman and quit seeing other girls, would you like me back?"

The conversation became... awkward. Rukia walked towards the mirror, putting on her earrings, "You talk as though the girl you're interested in is me," she laughed. She recalled how he would always look at her with disdain; he couldn't possibly like her. No way, it's impossible.

He didn't respond. He'd have to wait until the time was right. Now wasn't the time, she had a date to catch. She shuddered when she saw him behind her in the mirror. "If he tries to seduce you, will you know what to do?" His hands placed themselves on her hips, "He'll probably be disappointed if you're inexperienced."

Rukia shook him off her, "We won't go that far-"

"What if he does?" He turned her around to face him. "Just... think of this as practice." That was an excuse. He wasn't saying and doing this because he wanted to help her captivate Renji. This 'practice' was probably the only way he'll ever be able to get close to her.

His rough hands reached up to her face, holding her still and in position. She knew it was wrong to do this, even if it was practice, but she couldn't bring herself to stop him. His eyes were bewitching her; she couldn't move. "Ichigo..."

She flinched at the touch of his hand on her breast, "First, he'll caress you like this," he whispered into her ear. His other hand went behind her neck, "Then he'll begin to slowly kiss you on every sensitive part of your body," he placed a kiss on her neck, making his way up.

A tingling sensation ran down her legs; why wasn't she doing anything? He looked into her violet eyes, "Then while he's unzipping your dress," he pulled down the zipper while running a finger along her spine, "he'll kiss you on your lips-"

"Stop!" She slapped him, panting in fear. She grabbed her coat and purse, "This is just a date. After the movies, I'm coming straight home. There won't be anything happening between me and Renji," she murmured quickly while rushing to leave the place.

Ichigo watched her slam the door. He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated with himself. How could he do something so bold and stupid?

* * *

**Movies**

"I never thought that the main character would be the bad guy! It's unbelievable," Renji laughed. Rukia faked a smile. She was still concerned about Ichigo's actions earlier. Was it really practice? Or was it something else? "What's the matter? You look bummed."

"Ah, no. I enjoyed it, really." She didn't. During the whole movie, she could only replay the previous events in her head. He bought her story. "I know you were looking forward to dinner at your place tonight," she scratched her head, unsure if something would go on between them if she went, "but I can't make it."

Of course she wanted something to happen, but Ichigo scared her to death with his little act. She just wanted to go home and sleep. "I see... That's fine. Look, Rukia. I've been meaning to ask you for another loan, if you don't mind." He smiled another one of her favorite smiles, "I asked you out tonight because I didn't know any other way to approach you with such a request. Please, forgive me-"

"Is that it...?" She folded her hands together. When he asked her that, she could only remember Ichigo's words - _"Ask him what his reasons for talking to you are. I bet you he's just into your money" - _Who would've thought he'd be right? Actually, deep down, she always knew Renji was only befriending her for money.

She only chose not to believe it. She loved him too much to accept that he was a gold digger. "What a fool I am," she laughed to herself. She changed everything about herself for him and in the end, he only saw her as a tree that grew money. She couldn't hate him, she could only hate herself. Of course, she was the one who let herself get taken advantage of.

Heartbroken and at loss, she threw the few dollars she had in her purse at him, "Here, take it all! This is what you want, isn't it?" Everyone looked at them with worry and curiosity. Renji laughed in embarrassment, whispering for her to calm down. "How can I be calm? I was so happy to hear you ask me out tonight, but it was just to set the mood up so you can ask me for money again, wasn't it?"

"Wait, Rukia. I'm sorry. I'm not-"

Renji fell to the ground unconscious. People who were watching saw Ichigo come and punch the lights out of him, "Ichigo... What are you doing here?"

He dragged her by the arm, pulling her away from the scene. "What's it look like? I'm saving you," he didn't look her in the eye. He didn't want to show the girl he liked how stirred up he was. The whole time they were walking home, he never let her go nor did he ever tell her, 'I told you so.'

* * *

**Later**

"You didn't have to do something so reckless..." She cleaned the blood on his fist. He could see how out of it she was. It made him curious - does love really make you this sad when it backfires on you? He didn't want to know how it felt. He could only hope that she wouldn't reject him in the end.

Her phone buzzed; it was Renji. For the past hour, he'd been calling like crazy to get into contact with her. "Give me that," he snatched the phone out of her hand, throwing it against the wall. "You can buy another one later," he grumbled.

Her surprised expression gradually turned into a semi-happy smile, "Thanks for coming today... I really felt like crying in front of him, but you came before that could happen. I didn't want to show him how weak I was," she finished wrapping up his hand. Ichigo couldn't help but feel the need to fix her... He wanted to see her smile only at him and get prettied up for him only. His phone rang, disrupting the moment. "A client?"

He hung up before answering it. "It's not important. Truth be told, I think I'm quitting prostituting."

She frowned with the sudden suggestion, "Why? I thought you liked money and sex. I mean, I'm glad to hear that, but why so suddenly?"

He hated how dull she was. Wasn't it obvious? He liked her. "I've found a reason to stop." Rukia heard the doorbell ring. The door pounded and she heard Renji's voice on the other side, demanding her to open the door. She covered her ears, "You stay here. I'll go deal with him-"

"Don't! Just leave it alone. He's my problem."

"Yeah and from what it looks like, you're just running away from it." Ichigo opened the door to see a frantic Renji, "What is it you want? If you're looking for her, she's not here."

"Please move. I need to apologize to Rukia. The truth is... I have a pregnant girlfriend. I need money to raise my child and she's my only hope-"

"Rukia doesn't want to see you!" Ichigo shouted, causing the man to jump in fear. "She's too nice to tell you upfront that you're a loser, but I'm different. A trash like me isn't worried about getting thrown into jail, so if I see you lurking around here again... I won't hesitate to kill you."

Renji stammered; he was dead serious. Getting on his knees, he begged for mercy, "I promise, I'll leave her alone, but I can't go home empty handed. My family is depending on me-"

"How much?" Rukia approached the door.

"Rukia.. You're not really thinking about helping this guy, are you? He used you-"

"As much as possible."

Rukia didn't hesitate to sign a check to the man who had betrayed her. "This is fifty grand. I hope you use it wisely," she handed it to Renji who took it gratefully. When he thanked her, she could only look away, "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for the baby." She closed the door, leaving everything behind like that.

Ichigo couldn't find the right words to say. He wanted to tell her how cool she was and how admirable she was, but he felt it wasn't right to compliment her at such a time. She laughed, crying tears at the same time. "In the end, I'm only able to buy friends with money." Rukia thought it was such a curse to be rich. "It really can't buy you happiness-"

"I'm your friend, aren't I?" Ichigo asked.

"You only agreed to help me after I offered a place to stay-"

"I like you!" Rukia saw how determined he was, "You're the reason why I'm quitting my old ways. I'm not here for your money, I'm here for you." His hands reached up to her, desperate for contact.

Rukia felt his hands touch her face and finally his lips on hers. Soft and gentle, she could feel nothing but sincerity. His delicate lips brushed up against hers; her legs felt weak to the bone. "You gave me a home and were like family. Before I knew it, that empty void feeling in my chest disappeared. I really do like you."

Her heart throbbed. It was the first time she was confessed to. Ichigo waited for a response, but she couldn't bring herself to say a word. "I-I'm tired... When I'm right in the head again, I'll tell you how I feel," she moved away from him.

* * *

**Later**

Ichigo tossed and turned in bed. How could he sleep with his feelings on the line? Rukia had all the power it took to destroy him with a simple 'no' to his feelings. It was the first time he felt so vulnerable, he didn't like this feeling at all.

He jerked when he heard his door creak open, "Rukia?" He called in the darkness. He felt his bed sink in a little as she crawled to his side. His heart raced to feel her in bed beside him. "Is something wrong?" He didn't want to take advantage of her if she were still in a weak state.

She shook her head, "I'm not here to seduce you or anything..." She pressed herself against his chest, "But if you don't mind, can you hold me for just tonight?" He obliged without questions, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

It was then that he felt her shaking in his hold. He felt her tears on his chest as she wept silently. What hurt the most was that he could do nothing to help ease her; he held her closer.

* * *

**Next Day**

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked. He had barely awoken to see Rukia packing her things in a rush. She raised her hands up as if she were caught in a crime. Well, she sort of was. She had hoped to leave the place without him noticing. "Were you really thinking about leaving without a word?"

Rukia couldn't lie her way out of it. She nodded. "I said I'd leave you alone when our contract was over. Since Renji already has a family of his own, that means there's no point in us being affiliated with each other anymore," she continued packing.

He stomped over, throwing her boxes aside. "Does that mean you don't acknowledge my feelings for you?"

She nodded, being blocked by him as she tried to move around. "I'm not confident enough to try another shot at love."

Ichigo laughed in frustration, "You're still not in the right mind, are you? You can't isolate yourself from the world just because you had your heart torn in two. It's not fair to push me away when you haven't even given me a chance," he grabbed her shoulders to make her stay still. She didn't bother struggling; she waited for him to calm down and realize that she was serious. "It pains me to see you think of him so much... Won't you for once look at me? Don't I have a chance at all?"

Rukia took his hands off her, "You couldn't possibly know what it is, so don't preach to me about it. What you're feeling isn't love-"

"Not love? Then tell me why I get so angry when I see you smiling from a single phone call from Renji. Tell me why I can't stand you getting your hair and makeup done for him. Tell me why I wish so dearly to be in his place? Do you know how painful it was to help the girl I like try to captivate some other guy? If this isn't love, then I must be crazy."

All this time, Rukia never knew how he felt about her. She felt guilty for making him go through something like that. "A while back, I said I could never fall in love with someone. One of the reasons why was because there never existed a girl who could move me. After I met you, I realized that that nonexistent girl was right in front of me. She exists and I'm madly in love with her."

"Ichigo..." He grabbed her, pulling her in for a kiss. In the kiss, it was almost as if he was begging her, begging for her to love him back. If she still said no, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

Finally letting go, he looked at her, searching for an answer within her. "Say something, anything..."

She touched her lips with her finger, still feeling the electrifying touch of his, "Why'd you stop?" She smiled, putting a box beneath her to reach up to his height. Finally, she kissed him.

* * *

**A/N: **Holy fried chickens. I can't believe I actually posted this cheesy one-shot up. Truth be told, this was never supposed to be a RukiaxIchigo story. It was an original I created a while ago and I wanted to upload it onto here, but then they don't accept originals I think, so I changed the character names and made this into a RukiaxIchigo one-shot :D

That's why they seem kinda OOC. Hehe, hope you enjoyed it though.


	2. Doubt

**A/N:** So the response my IchigoxRukia one-shot received left me wondering if I should make it into a story instead. Sooo, this chapter is just a taste of the story, hence why it's only about 1,000 words long.

If you like this and think I should continue the story, review this or PM me and let me know what you think. If I don't receive much response, I'll probably just kill the idea of the story and leave it as a one-shot. Anyway, let me know!

* * *

**"Doubt"**

Ichigo sneezed, waving his hand in the air to get the dust out of his face. He grimaced, disgusted. "Well," he coughed, "this is..."

"Just the right place," Rukia finished his sentence. She dropped the box full of her belongings.

Ichigo completely disagreed; he ran a finger across the small window in the room, leaving behind a single clean line on it as the rest of the window remained covered in dust and possibly... mold. Seeing the ecstatic expression on Rukia's face, Ichigo didn't have the heart to tell her what a mess their new apartment was. "You're serious about this, aren't you?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia faced him with a gleaming look; Ichigo sighed. Ever since Ichigo quit being a prostitute and declared his love to her, Rukia's been... like this. She quit her job and became so carefree. She was the one who suggested that they live a life without caring about money, hence why there were living in... poverty.

"You know," Ichigo crossed his arms, "I respect your decision to live like this. I don't care about the money, but I hope you're not doing all this because of what Renji did." That last thing Ichigo wanted was for Rukia to still be thinking about that red-headed jerk. Afterall, the only reason why she would be trying to live a life without money was because of the trauma she received because of it.

"Don't be an idiot," Rukia said, already unpacking. The living room of the place was already filled with necessary furniture - a sofa, table, and a phone. Ichigo shrugged off his worries, knowing that the scowling look she held just now meant that she didn't want to talk about the past. "Are you sleeping on the couch or in the bedroom?" she asked.

Ichigo frowned, confused. Weren't they a couple now? Don't couples sleep together in the same bed when they move in together? Ichigo chuckled to himself; he knew that Rukia was still an amateur when it came to love. He figured he'd just take it slow with her. "I'll take the couch," he said, plopping onto the couch, coughing again when a wave of dust lifted into the air from it.

Rukia brushed her hand along Ichigo's head, patting off the dust. Ichigo's eyes locked with hers. He took in a deep breath, gulping. Was something going to happen? They've been dating for a month already, but he hasn't received a single kiss ever since they last kissed. "Oh," she looked at the clock that hung on the wall, "aren't you supposed to be working right now?"

Ichigo's eyes bulged as he jumped off the couch, "I'll see you later tonight!" He waved to Rukia as he left the apartment.

* * *

**Dashing Diner**

"Boy," Ichigo's manager, Kenji, spoke, "you've been working really hard. It's difficult to find responsible workers like you nowadays." Kenji was a slender man in his mid 30's. He was quite a handsome man, though he could never meet up to Ichigo. His sleek black hair was always kept in a neat tail and he was almost never seen without a smile.

Ichigo gave a suspicious laugh. Responsible? Kenji wouldn't be saying that if he knew that Ichigo almost arrived late to work today. Ichigo scrubbed down the tables and cleaned the floor before leaving. "Well... I sort of have to start acting responsibly. I have someone I need to take care of."

Kenji smirked, "Pregnant girlfriend?"

Ichigo turned a shade of pink. "_Just_ a girlfriend," he quickly said. Ichigo couldn't imagine himself being a father. It was unthinkable. Babies are just so fragile and weak... Ichigo really thought that if he were to ever hold one, it'd explode.

"A girlfriend you need to take care of? She handicapped or something?" Kenji asked. He didn't mean it to be offending in any way, of course.

Ichigo wondered to himself before replying. "In a way, yes." Rukia was still deeply hurt from being used. Ichigo understood that even though the pain she burdened wasn't obvious. It was his job, he felt, to help her get back up on her feet.

Kenji whistled, "Some dedication you've got. Anyway, remember to lock the door when you leave," he said, bidding farewell to Ichigo.

After locking up the place, Ichigo headed home. The only good thing about the apartment was that it's close to his workplace. It only takes about five minutes to get to work and to come back home. "I'm home," Ichigo said, entering his apartment room. "I brought food," he called, setting the leftover food he received from his workplace on the table. He looked around for a certain shorty. Though he didn't find her, he did see that the place was cleaner.

"Welcome home." Ichigo turned around to see Rukia. "Is that your way to get me to come to you? By saying there's food?" she quirked a brow. Ichigo gave a sly smile. Her angry expression faded into a pleased one. "You know me too well," she said, sitting down to eat. "How was work?"

Although it didn't show on his face, Ichigo was content with the way things were. He didn't mind going to work everyday if he was able to come home to a family.

"Is something wrong?" Rukia asked with a mouth full of food. Ichigo shook his head. "Aren't you eating?"

Once again, the orange-head shook his head. "Watching you eat is enough to make me full."

Rukia gave a blank stare for a moment before laughing softly. "Such captivating words. Do you tell that to most girls?"

Ichigo tilted his head. Was she joking? "I'm being sincere right now," he told truthfully. "Do you think I like to joke around with you?" he asked, curious. Ichigo wasn't the type to say such cheesy things to just any girl. He felt... _insulted _that she'd ask something like that.

Rukia didn't understand why he was ticked off. She assumed it was because of work. "Sorry," she apologized, earning his forgiveness without effort. Ichigo wouldn't get tripped up over something trivial. "I'll see you in the morning," she said, cleaning the table.

"Y-yeah..."

* * *

**A/N: **Remember, let me know if I should continue this story or not!


	3. A Long Day

**A/N: **Okay, since a lot of you seemed enthusiastic about the idea of a story, I'll continue :D

Thanks so much for those encouraging me to keep writing this story! I'll try not to fail you guys. Anyway, just to let you know, this won't be a 50 chapter long story. It'll be short (I think).

I'll try to make this story a weekly update, so expect new chapters out every Saturday (but don't expect one this Saturday!) Enjoy!

* * *

**"A Long Day"**

It'd been a week since Ichigo and Rukia moved into their new apartment. Although it wasn't as nice as Ichigo had hoped, it was... tolerable. Usually he wasn't one to complain, but the place was probably the equivalent of an old abandoned warehouse. There were holes in the wall, mold growing in strange places, and bugs crawling around at midnight. Sometimes, Ichigo even wondered if the place was haunted with _ghosts_.

Rukia set breakfast on the table; Ichigo poked at the food. Just like this, it seemed like they were a married couple, Ichigo thought. "We should do something for fun, don't you think?" Ichigo asked. Rukia raised a brow, looking confused as though she never heard of the word 'fun' before.

"What do you suppose we do?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo shrugged, "Something... anything. I just want to get away from this place; it's giving me a headache." He cringed, seeing a cockroach slither into the cracks on the walls.

Rukia apologized, "I have a job interview today."

"What kind of job are you applying for?"

Rukia gulped down a glass of water, sighing. "Waitress. We'll have similar professions," she grinned, swinging her legs beneath the table in excitement. "You don't seem too happy with the idea?"

Ichigo shook his head, not wanting to ruin the calm atmosphere when it was only the morning. Rukia only kept insisting that he tell her. Ichigo sighed, not wanting to look... uncool. He murmured lowly, "Just don't want other men looking at you." He looked away, feeling embarrassed. Jealousy was only meant for insecure people and he wasn't the type to be insecure, no way.

Rukia chuckled, "I'm a capable woman. Don't worry," she assured. "If anything, _I _should be the one worrying."

What? Ichigo leaned forward, listening intently. "Was that an indirect compliment?" He smirked, "Calling me handsome?"

Rukia, prideful as ever, smacked Ichigo's cocky face. "A-As if," she scoffed. "It's just... around this area, there are dangerous women who will prey on men." Ichigo didn't listen to her excuses; he was too happy to know that she did indeed care about him, even though she'd never admit it.

Ichigo, captivated by her violet irises, leaned over the table. "Where'd you hear that from?" he asked huskily. His eyes were opened halfway as he eyed her dangerously. Both his hands were placed on the table for support. He moved closer to Rukia who sat on the other end of the table. Because he was so tall, it didn't take much effort for him to reach her.

"O-on the... news," Rukia stuttered, becoming flustered. She mentally cursed at herself for having such a terrible flashback at a time like this. The only thing she could think of was that time Ichigo pulled a stunt when he was 'teaching' her about sex before she had a date with Renji. She was dumbfounded; it was the perfect chance Ichigo would get to touch her again-

Ichigo flinched, feeling a swelling pain in his cheek. He grabbed it, suddenly realizing that Rukia had just slapped him. "What was that for?" he asked, surprised at her violent behavior. Maybe she wasn't the type to like morning sex, he thought?

Rukia, just like the cockroaches in the apartment, scurried away.

* * *

**Dashing Diner**

"The rainy weather making you depressed?" Kenji asked.

Ichigo lifted his head, "Huh?"

Kenji laughed, tossing Ichigo a bottle of water. "You sighed again just now. Take a break; let's a have a man to man talk." Kenji was the kind of person who thought that talking was the way to solve most problems. People don't function when they're mentally dying, he always said.

Ichigo put away the mop he was using and sat at the main table of the diner while Kenji stood on the other side, ready for a therapy session. The store was closed but the two men stayed indoors to clean up after the long day. "What's to talk about?" Ichigo asked, not really wanting to discuss anything after he was assaulted by Rukia. His self esteem was pretty much at its lowest point right now. He'd never been rejected in his whole life!

"If this is about money and living in poverty, I understand. Everyone just wants to give up sometimes," Kenji rambled on and on. "Eh? Am I wrong; this isn't about being short on money?" Ichigo nodded. Kenji sighed, relieved that he didn't have to worry about giving Ichigo a raise. Ichigo was his best worker; he'd do anything to get Ichigo to stay. "Is it the..." Kenji raised his pinky finger, "girlfriend?"

Ichigo remained quiet.

"Ah..." Kenji nodded, reminiscing to the old days when he had a girlfriend. "Love is strange, isn't it? It can be good or bad. You can't live without it nor can you live with it. Did she cheat on you?"

Ichigo sneered at Kenji for assuming something so preposterous.

When Kenji heard Ichigo's story of today's morning events, he gave a loud cackle. "She's cheating on you," he said, confident in his theory. "Not to be gay or anything, but women don't deny kisses from men like us. We're pretty handsome, dontcha think?"

Ichigo stared at Kenji, a bit grossed out. "Rukia's not promiscuous."

"Then maybe that's her problem! She's just not the girl who does those lewd things, y'know?"

Ichigo wondered to himself. That couldn't be it, right? Rukia did kiss him before. He never met a girl who wasn't secretly desiring for dirty things to be done to her. "I fear the problem might be something worse..." Ichigo sulked, wallowing again.

Kenji squinted his eyes, eager to hear more. He was also the type of person who liked to be involved in drama. It was the only way to spice up his life, he thought. "Did you kill someone? Is that why she won't return your feelings?" Kenji was prepared to grab the gun that was under the table should Ichigo lunge forward.

"I..." Ichigo's voice faded out, unsure if he should say it or not. "used to give women some 'company,' if you know what I mean." Saying the word 'prostitute' used to not bother him, but now it was like acid being poured down his throat whenever he said it. Only after he fell in love with Rukia did he realize how stupid he was for taking up such a job.

Kenji mouthed a silent 'oh.' There was an awkward tension in the air before Kenji managed to start up the conversation again. "You think your girl is disgusted with you, is that it?" Ichigo nodded, letting out another dull sigh. "That's tough."

"Yeah... she might even still be in love with her first love." Ichigo felt hopeless. He just wanted to crawl under a rock and never show his face to the world again.

"Ouch," Kenji cringed, feeling the sting. "A bad past _and _being second best?" Kenji shook his head, pitying Ichigo. "May fate be kind to you," Kenji toasted his glass of sake into the air before downing it.

"Hn," Ichigo chuckled lightly to himself. "I'll see you tomorrow-"

Ichigo and Kenji both fell silent at the sound of banging. Kenji looked to the far side of the room to see a dark figure outside the diner, trying to push the door open. "What the?" Kenji grabbed a knife from the counter, "I got this," he told Ichigo.

Ichigo turned pale, wondering what Kenji would do. "Is the knife really necessary?" He followed behind Kenji who was cautiously approaching the door.

"Hey!" Kenji shouted, "We're closed! Don't you see the sign?"

"Do you really think that with that apron on, you'll be able to scare him away?" Ichigo asked, eyeing the apron that Kenji wore. It was decorated with the diner's mascot, a cute white rabbit, which was standing in front of the diner itself. In large red print, the restaurant's name, Dashing Diner, was written onto the apron.

The rain pattered onto the rooftop louder; a loud drum-like thunder boomed across the sky. This eerie scene was similar to a another scene in a horror film that Ichigo watched a while ago with Rukia. It was at this point that the dark figure outside would jump in and kill the people inside the diner, which in this case, was Ichigo and Kenji.

Suddenly, the door swoosh open, banging against the wall as the wind blew in. The figure's face came into view as the light reached the shivering person. "You're..." Ichigo uttered, stunned to see who the person was.

The stranger gave a warm smile despite how cold she was, "Kurosaki-kun! It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry I was lurking outside like a stalker," she laughed, scratching the back of her head.

Kenji gave Ichigo a smirk. The glint in his eye only meant trouble. "Your girlfriend?" he asked.

Ichigo immediately denied it, "N-no," he managed to say. "This is..."

The girl introduced herself. "Orihime Inoue," she greeted. Kenji looked in love. She was amazingly beautiful. A perfect figure with a huge set of racks, orange hair that looked even better when wet, and luscious lips that seemed so kissable... She was like an angel! "Ah, I'm sorry! I'm getting your floor all wet," she panicked so innocently.

Kenji dragged Ichigo into the kitchen. He didn't hesitate to start rambling on with how gorgeous the girl was. "She's not your girlfriend!?" Kenji shouted yet spoke with a hushed voice.

Ichigo could punch Kenji for ever asking such a thing. "She's my childhood friend," he simply said. Seeing Orihime as something more than a friend was just... _wrong_.

Kenji couldn't believe the guy. Who couldn't love Orihime? "Unfortunately for me, I already have a wife and two kids," Kenji groaned. Now Ichigo couldn't believe _this _guy. "But for you man..." Kenji grinned slyly, "perhaps fate _is _kind to you. Remember Ichigo, when one door closes, another one opens."

* * *

**A/N: **Awww snap! Shiz is bouts tah get real! Review what you think guys! :)


	4. Savior

"**Savior"**

Ichigo's brows knitted together into a deep scowl while Kenji remained grinning. "Who said the first door closed already?" Ichigo pushed Kenji aside, preparing to leave. Orihime grew troubled when she saw the lifeless look in Ichigo's eyes. Knowing Ichigo since her childhood, it wasn't hard for her to realize when something was bothering him.

"Is something the matter, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked all too innocently. Her tiny nose and round eyes made her seem almost like a bunny. Ichigo apologized before shaking his head. He just wanted to go home and sleep. "I-I see..." She desperately tried to keep the conversation going. Being separated from Ichigo for two years, it was only natural that she wanted to sit down and talk about life. Ichigo, however, was too worried over Rukia's feelings about him to care about catching up with Orihime.

"I'll see you around," Ichigo simply said, not even giving Orihime a second look. Her heart faltered a little.

"Umbrella..." Orihime whispered, catching Ichigo's attention. "You need an umbrella," she held out her polka-dotted one. "I have a raincoat, so I'll be fine without it."

Ichigo eyed the pretty umbrella, thinking that he'd look ridiculous using such a thing. "I'll be fine; I live close here anyway." He threw the hood of his sweater over his head, reassuring Orihime that he'd be okay with a semi-smile. "By the way... what are you doing out here in the middle of the night anyway?" Ichigo only thought about how strange it was for her to be wandering out so late.

Orihime sighed, relieved that she could talk to Ichigo for a while longer. She giggled nervously, "Getting groceries! Tonight I'm making a soup full of beef, fish, pork, chicken, and..." she rambled on; Ichigo worried her for her health. She ate the strangest things and didn't seem to discriminate against food. There were two things Orihime never failed in: eating and being constantly happy. "Would you..." her voice drifted as she wondered if it was safe to say the rest of the sentence. "Would you like to come over for dinner?"

Ichigo was a bit surprised by her boldness. She used to never even let him into her front yard. "I'm not sure," Ichigo mumbled. After what happened with Rukia, Ichigo didn't mind having some company... Besides, maybe it was better to have let Rukia have some time alone, he thought. Finally, after much contemplation, Ichigo said no. "I have someone waiting for me at home. Maybe next time," he said kindly, hoping to not hurt her feelings.

Orihime shook her head, "It's okay!" she said honestly, waving her arms in front of her. "I'm sorry I asked on such late notice."

"Hey Inoue.." Ichigo asked, suddenly serious. Orihime raised her brows, wondering what he wanted to ask. "You're a girl, right?"

Orihime blinked owlishly. Ichigo immediately looked away while stuttering with a blush when Orihime suddenly cupped her breasts, giving them a couple of squeezes. "Yeah, I think so!" she replied quite gleefully. "Why do you ask?"

After regaining his composure, Ichigo asked her, "You know how I had my previous job..?" Orihime fell quiet. How could she forget that Ichigo was selling his body? She remembered crying and begging for him to stop doing it. Regretfully, she nodded. "I stopped now... but what's your impression of me after I've done something like that? Am I disgusting?"

Orihime was surprised Ichigo would ask something so serious. Last time when she tried to convince him to stop, he got upset that she wasn't supporting his decisions. Giving her honest opinion, she told him, "You're Kurosaki-kun, a precious friend of mine. We all make mistakes, so I won't judge you."

Ichigo hung his head low, wishing Rukia would say those words to him. "Thanks," he said sincerely. "Ah, the rain stopped." They both looked out the window to see little droplets of water falling off the roof. "Well, I'll be going now." Orihime nodded, bidding farewell. "See ya."

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

Rukia sneezed out a slime of snot; Ichigo wiped it away with a tissue. "You've been sick for three days. When will you surrender and let me take you to the doctor?" Ichigo asked, only getting a low growl from the stubborn girl. She lay in bed, quite drowsy and defenseless.

"You know that costs money," Rukia responded in a hoarse voice. Both Rukia and Ichigo had made little money. Most of the money went to paying the rent and to buying food. They were completely broke. Even so, Rukia had no complaints. Before, she had so much money that she didn't have to worry about life. Now, she had to struggle just to survive. "Go to work; I'll be fine."

Ichigo couldn't believe Rukia. Did she honestly think he'd be the kind to just cruelly leave her alone to die? He placed his large hand over her small forehead; Rukia flinched when she felt his warm touch. Even though it's been two weeks since Ichigo attempted to kiss her, she was still traumatized over the incident. Ichigo pulled away, giving her space. "Sorry," he said, feeling strange for apologizing. He didn't have anything to be sorry for.

Ichigo felt that if things kept going on like this, he'd go insane. Were they roommates or were they lovers? It was getting hard to tell. "You're scowling again..." Rukia croaked, reaching up and smacking his forehead in an attempt to erase his frown. "Sorry Ichigo. I haven't been kind to you lately, I know. I'm the reason why you're upset, right?"

Ichigo denied it, not wanting to make her feel guilty especially when she was already sick.

"I'm not trying to push you away, really. It's just that... Doing those sort of _things _make me uncomfortable." Her face, which was already red, turned even redder, if it was even possible. Ichigo's mouth gaped open to understand the truth. So all this time he was just letting it get to him for no reason. "You look relieved. Did you think I was avoiding you for some other reason?"

Ichigo turned pale, not wanting to sound like a worried girl. "O-Of course not. I wasn't even worried to begin with," he lied. Looking cool was his top priority. Secretly, he was ecstatic to know that he was wrong about Rukia. Now he would have to go beat up Kenji for trying to persuade him to dump Rukia. Rukia grinned, despite being in pain.

"Now go to work. I won't forgive you if you stay," Rukia threatened. Ichigo sulked. He hated it when she did that. The last thing he wanted was to be hated by her, even if she was just joking. Hearing her say those words was enough to make him cringe. "You're being a little overly dramatic; I'll be... fine."

Ichigo squinted his eyes, suspicious. "What was with that eerie pause in your sentence?" He questioned. At this point, he could see the gaunt look in Rukia's face and the sweat beads that were building up on the surface of her pale skin. Without hesitating, he effortlessly lifted her up in his arms. At this point, she was already passed out, too weak to fight back. "Rukia? Rukia!" He shouted, trying to wake her up.

Ichigo panicked, unsure of what to do. The hospital from there was about thirty minutes away; there was no way he'd get Rukia there in time.

"Damn it...!" Ichigo cursed at himself, not wanting to use his last resort. Even so, there were times in life when swallowing his pride was necessary, and right now was one of those times. He bolted out the door, heading for the Kurosaki Clinic.

* * *

**Kurosaki Clinic**

Ichigo hung his head low as he sat in his old living room. The furniture hadn't been moved and not a thing seemed out of place; everything was the same as Ichigo last recalled. Even the familiar scent of apple cinnamon was still in the air. Though he'd never admit, the feeling of nostalgia was kind of nice.

Karin and Yuzu, his two sisters, stood in front of him. It was the first time he saw them in a while... "I don't believe it! Months without hearing from you and suddenly you show up, and with a girl nonetheless!" Karin lectured, holding a glare that was probably even scarier than Ichigo's. Yuzu, in contrast, tried to calm down her twin.

"Karin-chan! Ichigo-nii just came to see us after so long. You should be happy, like me," Yuzu said, trying her best to smile. She turned to Ichigo, hugging his right arm tightly.

Karin gave a loud huff, "Even I can tell you're about to cry Yuzu-chan." Karin held a smug look as Ichigo plummeted further into his guilt. Yuzu placed her hand on top Ichigo's orange hair, patting his head to cheer him up a little. Still, she wasn't able to bring out a single smile out of her brother.

Suddenly, Yuzu gasped, "I'll go make some spicy food for you!" She jumped happily at her idea before running off. Yuzu's optimism, Ichigo thought, was probably kept their family going on for so long. When times were rough, she was always the one to provide relief with her joy.

Ichigo suddenly felt heated as Karin stared at him with intense eyes. Her hands were placed on her hips as she cocked her head to one side, eyeballing him maliciously. "Yuzu-chan is trying to cheer you up. The least you could do is give her some sort of expression that isn't so depressing to reassure her. Lie if you have to," she said.

Ichigo gave a simple nod. Karin was right, he admitted, even though Karin _was _the one who was making him feel so crappy. "I'll go apologize to Yuzu-chan," he stood up from his seat. Even though Karin was as tough as a yakuza, Ichigo knew that her rough attitude was just a way of expressing her caring side. At times like this, it was when he needed a good beating.

"Ah, my beautiful son!" Ichigo became stiff as a board when he heard that creepy voice. He turned around, meeting a bear-like hug from his father. "You've been gone for too long, and just when I least expect it, you come home along with your girlfriend? This is too good to be true! She's a cute one too," he blushed in a girly fashion. Ichigo facepalmed, ashamed of his father.

Seeing his father so carefree, Ichigo assumed that Rukia was fine.

"Hm? Oh, right!" Ichigo's father exclaimed. "Your girlfriend-"

"_Rukia_," Ichigo said. Of course, he didn't mind his father referring to Rukia as his girlfriend, but he didn't need to be constantly reminded of the fact.

"Oh, cute name too!" Ichigo's father fawned, "but yes, she's fine. She just caught a fever, but it's nothing to fret too much about. I prescribed a medicine for her, so just visit your local pharmacy and you'll be good to go." Ichigo sighed in relief, glad that Rukia wasn't in danger. His father grinned, patting his shoulder. "You really care about her huh?"

Ichigo rubbed his face, trying to wipe off the light blush he had. "Thanks, old man..."

"I'm just glad that you know that you still have a home to return to. I really thought I wasn't going to see you again."

"Don't blame yourself for me running away. All that recklessness I did in the past was my own fault."

Ichigo's father looked up, happy. "Seeing you now, I'm assuming you've turned your life around somehow?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Somewhat... I guess you can say that."

His father nodded, "Then I owe Rukia-chan my thanks for bringing you back home!"

* * *

**A/N: **Alright, I know I said I'd update on Saturdays, but this one came earlier than expected and I just had to post it today. Besides, I'll be busy this weekend. Just expect me to update once a week. :)**  
**

Please review! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	5. Warmth

"**Warmth"**

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin, Ichigo's dad, cried out loud, extending his arms towards the angel who brought his son home. Rukia staggered to the living room, still unsure where she was at. Instead of running into the man's arms, she bowed, thanking him for helping her. He sobbed lightly before asking her to join the Kurosaki family for dinner.

Ichigo came into the main room from the kitchen; he paused, dropping the bowl of apples in his arms at the sight of Rukia. He had been helping Yuzu help cook dinner. "What are you doing up Rukia?" Ichigo asked. "Rest some more..."

"How much will the cost be?" Rukia asked Isshin while completely ignoring Ichigo's pleas.

Isshin smiled broadly, radiating like a sun in the winter. He waved his hand down, "Your Ichigo's girlfriend right?" he asked, a little too excited. "It's all free of charge," he grabbed Rukia's tiny hands, shaking them.

Rukia's eyes widened a little, surprised by how gentle the giant man actually was. Despite his huge build and the fact that he looked quite intimidating, he was quite generous and adorable. "Well... thank you then," Rukia returned a grin. "I didn't know you had connections," she murmured to Ichigo.

Ichigo gave a nervous laugh while trying to think of an escape plan out of the Kurosaki home. The last thing he wanted was his father to bring out the old stories and photos of Ichigo. "Well, he's my old man so... Anyway," he turned to his father. "Sorry but Rukia and I aren't going to stay for dinner."

Rukia quirked a brow, kicking him gently on the leg when she saw the disappointed look in Isshin's face. With the way he was beaming earlier, she didn't even think it was possible for him to feel despair, but apparently he could. "Of course we'll stay. I don't mean to impose and freeload, but dinner seems nice." And instantly, Isshin's face glowed again with joy.

Ichigo grabbed his head in pain, just wishing for once that Rukia would listen to him. "Well, I have to cover for one of my coworkers early tomorrow morning since he got sick too. Besides, I'm sure-"

"Oh, I'm feeling weak... I'll need to rest here for tonight," Rukia dramatically moaned, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead while falling against Ichigo.

Despite knowing Rukia was just lying so that they could spend dinner there with the Kurosaki family, Ichigo couldn't force her out the door with the state she was in, even if she was just pretending. Sometimes Ichigo wished he wasn't so head over heels for the girl; he was really a fool in love.

* * *

**Dinner**

"And so Ichigo kept crying and crying! There was no way to stop him; I really thought he was going to flood the house!" Isshin exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table while roaring with laughter. Yuzu laughed, enjoying the story even though she heard it about a thousand times already. Karin on the other hand just sighed while she ate quietly. "Ah, his mother was the only one able to cheer him up," Isshin turned to the portrait of his wife hanging on the wall. He gave it a few kisses while hugging it with much adoration.

Rukia, like Yuzu, listened intently. Every few seconds, she'd give a snicker to Ichigo; he buried his face in his food, wanting to die on the spot as his father went on and on about the horrific stories of the past. And to make it worse, it was all of Ichigo's most hated memories. His father was the reason why he never had the courage to bring home a girlfriend.

As the dinner came to an end, everyone helped clean the kitchen. When that was done, the house became quiet as Yuzu and Karin were the first to go to bed. "Well, we'll be going now," Ichigo said, eager to go home before his father brought out another story.

"In this rain?" Isshin asked, pointing out the window and revealing the heavy downpour. "Rukia-chan just recovered and you want her to risk getting sick again?" He shook his head, "You don't know how to treat a woman, do you?" Ichigo turned to Rukia with a face that told her to tell his father that he was the best boyfriend anyone could have. Rukia shrugged. "You two stay the night. Your room is the same as it was before you left, Ichigo. You two can occupy that room-"

"Alone? Together?" Ichigo asked, almost shouting in shock. He knew how sensitive Rukia was about this topic. She hated sleeping with him. Okay, she never said she hated it, but it was _implied_. "Ah, nevermind. I'll take the couch in the main room-"

"Don't be a girl Ichigo," Rukia dragged Ichigo by the arm. "We'll see you in the morning Mr. Kurosaki. Thank you for the dinner tonight; it was wonderful."

Eventually, they made it to the front door of Ichigo's room. Ichigo prayed it was clean. He usually kept his room clean of trash, but still... he'd been gone for months. Maybe the furniture inside was collecting dust. Perhaps sleeping over wasn't a good idea... Ichigo panicked. It was the first time he'd let a girl into his room. Well, he let Orihime in once back then, but that was different because she was his friend. This time, it was Rukia, his girlfriend. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants while he panted, unsure of what to do.

"Are we going in?" Rukia asked, waiting for Ichigo to open the door first. Shrugging, she barged in.

"Wait!" Ichigo followed after her. "I can explain about the mess in here-..." Surprisingly, everything was the same as it was before. There was no signs of dust or mold growing anywhere. It was clean and smelled nice. He sighed, mentally thanking Yuzu for cleaning his room. She was always cleaning the house and never neglected cleaning any one room, even Ichigo's room.

Rukia seemed impressed with the environment. She never would've thought that the ex-prostitute who she hired long ago would have such a well kept room. His single bed was pushed to one corner by the window while across from it was a closet. There was a single drawer and that was about it. Everything seemed pretty normal. "Well then," Rukia said, turning around to face Ichigo.

Ichigo nodded, "I know," he held his arms up, "I'll go grab a futon and sleep on the floor. I'll also find some clothes for you. Since you're quite small, you can borrow one of my sister's clothes."

Before Rukia could speak, Ichigo left to grab what he needed. Even though the day had been pretty bad, the only good thing that probably came out of it was that he got to spend a little more time with her. He'll even get to sleep in the same room with her this time. It was an improvement, he thought. He'll take whatever he can get at this point. That's how desperate he was.

After grabbing a pair of new and unused PJ's and underwear from Yuzu and a futon, Ichigo returned to the room. "Asleep already?" he asked Rukia, who was already getting cozy in his bed. Ah... Ichigo turned pink, crossing his legs. Seeing her under his bedsheets... Ichigo shook his head, quickly throwing the clothes at her.

"Is something wrong?" Rukia asked, completely oblivious to the erection forming between Ichigo's legs.

"N-Nope," Ichigo lied while setting up his futon on the ground beside the bed. "Wh-what are you doing?" He jumped, seeing Rukia rustling beneath the sheets. Suddenly, something flew out from under the covers and onto the floor. His eyes narrowed down at the bra that lay on the floor; Ichigo nearly fainted.

"I'm changing underneath the covers. What else?" Rukia poked her head out of the covers, revealing bare shoulders. Ichigo grabbed his groin in pain. Rukia was doing this on purpose, he just knew it. A naked woman in his bed? Was that not an invitation!? "Oh, and earlier, I was going to say that you don't need to bring the futon out. Just sleep in bed with me."

Ichigo lost it.

"If your dad see's us like this, he'll think we aren't dating," Rukia explained.

"Oh..." Ichigo saddened a little. So that's why she was so kind today. It was because she didn't want to make Ichigo's dad worry. "Forget it, I'll just sleep down here." He threw the sheets over himself, feeling stupid because he got happy for no reason.

Rukia wasn't too dense to not realize the rainy cloud over Ichigo's head. She sighed, thinking he looked like a child throwing a tantrum. "Sleep up here with me. I want you to," she said sincerely. Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see Rukia dressed up; she looked like an eight year old.

"No thanks. I don't want to look like a pedophile- ow," Ichigo winced, feeling her throw her shoe at his head. Reluctantly, he turned off the lights and climbed into the single bed beside Rukia. She didn't seem to mind too much, but Ichigo wasn't sure how to behave.

This was the first time in a while since Ichigo was able to get this close to Rukia. "Why so tense? Never been with a woman before?" Rukia joked.

Ichigo growled at her before resting his head against his pillow. He was quite surprised that the tiny bed would fit the two of them. He could feel Rukia's warmth beneath the sheet - he could hear her breathing. Her back turned against him; he even was able to smell her strawberry scented hair. "Can I touch you?" Ichigo asked unconsciously.

Rukia frowned, turning around to look at him. The room was dark, but the moonlight allowed her to see clearly. Ichigo looked almost sad. Being like this was torture, he thought. He was so close to her yet he couldn't have her... Carefully, Rukia wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. Ichigo's face was pushed against her small chest. He turned a bright shade of pink. Staying in that position through the whole night? Ichigo didn't mind a single thing about it.

"I've been meaning to ask," Rukia spoke quietly, almost whispering into Ichigo's ear because of how close they were, "I don't mean to impose but... what happened to your mother? If you don't want, you don't have to answer."

Strangely, Ichigo didn't feel bothered by her question. Usually when people asked about his mother, he'd instantly shut down and cut off the rest of the world. However, he felt calm around Rukia. Perhaps it was because of her soothing voice or her loving hold on him? He couldn't explain it. "She died protecting me from an accident. It was about a decade ago," he murmured against her collarbone.

"I'm sorry."

Ichigo closed his eyes, remembering his sweet mother's face. Her orange hair was just like his, except her hair was long and beautiful. Her kind eyes were always smiling and loving. Her smile too... She was saint-like and was like an angel on earth. Maybe his thinking was biased, since she was his mother, but that was how he really felt. "Her death was the reason why I ran away from home and did what I did. I blamed myself for it."

"Ah," Rukia nodded, "that's why you were so reckless. You have strange methods of facing your fears."

Ichigo glared. "What about your family? Today you found out about my family. I want to know about yours," Ichigo said.

"You don't want to know about my family. It's a boring tale."

"No, tell me," Ichigo insisted. It was only fair that he knew about Rukia too. He couldn't wait to go see her family and have them tell humiliating stories of her as well. That way, they both would be equal.

Rukia sighed, wondering where she should start. "My family is quite... prestigious. Strangely, I was adopted into that kind of family."

"You're adopted?" Ichigo asked, amazed he never knew until now. Well, how could he know? Rukia was always quiet about her life. He only knew her name and love life. That was it. Realizing how little he knew of her only made him want to know more about her.

Rukia nodded. "My brother Byakuya adopted me into the family as his sister."

"Weird... Where is he now?"

"Probably back at home. I haven't seen him in years so..."

Ichigo snorted. "So we're quite the same. Do you have any other family members?"

Rukia shook her head before gasping. "I did have this one pet bunny before - unfortunately, it ran away long ago. Byakuya never liked having pets in the house, so I've blamed the disappearance of my rabbit on him ever since," she moped, depressed at the terrible memories.

Ichigo couldn't help but think how cute she was being. He placed his palm at the top of her head, pressing his forehead against her. "I'll get you a rabbit next time, so don't make such an ugly face," he comforted.

Rukia gave a dumb look before roaring, "Who comforts a girl by calling them _ugly_?" She thrashed around, kicking him beneath the sheets. Ichigo caught her tiny fists, pinning her down beneath him with ease. "_Oi_..." Rukia threatened, "what do you think you're doing?" She glared her violet eyes at him. Even so, she still looked pretty. It was then that she saw a glint in his eyes. Her heart beat a little faster.

Rukia could see the yearning look in Ichigo; the frown he always held to ward off others eased as he caged her in. Rukia pushed back into the mattress, trying to get away from his grasp. Finally, his nose touched hers and his forehead touched hers. His fingers entwined with hers; Ichigo never closed his eyes nor took them off her. "I want you," he whispered huskily.

"Ichi-"

Rukia's lips were shut tight. Ichigo pushed his lips against hers, hungrily tasting her. 'Soft...' she thought, closing her eyes as she indulged herself in the kiss.

* * *

**A/N: **Please review and stay tuned for the next chapter :)


	6. Body Heat

**A/N: **So after I posted my last chapter, I got REALLY excited because I received great responses from you ladies (and men too, maybe). However, I kinda laughed to myself because most of the reviews were just like, "LEMON!?" Reminded me of that dog from "Up" who was just always shouting, "Squirrel!?"

Haha, I'm not calling you guys dogs. Ya'll are just funny though. It just made me think to myself, "Did I really make this story that angsty that you guys would get worked up over a kiss?" I'm so sorry for making you all miserable hehe. I'm just a sucker for drama!

Anyway, since you all were so enthusiastic, here is the next chapter. Will it be a lemon? I don't know. You'll have to read to find out :)

* * *

"**Body Heat"**

Rukia panted after Ichigo pulled away from the kiss. Her chest heaved upward and down, but her heart never slowed for a second. She'd never seen this side - this serious side - of Ichigo before. It was like he was telling her that his feelings for her weren't a lie by showing it to her. Ichigo was trying so hard to help her realize what she felt too... "We shouldn't do this, not here," Rukia said, turning away in embarrassment. How could she face his piercing gaze?

Ichigo grabbed a fistful of the pillow, upset. What did he have to do to make Rukia look at him? It was so frustrating. He leaned his head at the hollow of her neck, closing his eyes while trying to calm down. "Am I just wasting my time with you, Rukia?" he asked in a hushed voice. Before Rukia could answer, he asked, "Does Renji still have a hold on your heart?"

Rukia's eyes were bewildered at Ichigo's question. Her tongue knotted and her teeth clenched together. How could he ask a thing, she thought? Renji betrayed her in the worst way and yet Ichigo would assume that Rukia would still like such a guy?

Ichigo sighed, laughing in amusement to hide his hurt. "I knew it-"

Ichigo's face turned to the side as he felt a sharp pain against his cheek. "And what about you?" Rukia asked. "Do those other girls still have a hold on _your _heart?"

"Huh?" Ichigo stuck his neck forward, "What other girls?"

"Nothing! Nevermind," Rukia crossed her arms, turning the other way.

It was then that a devilish smile made its way to Ichigo's lips. "Are you... _jealous_?" He quirked a brow, trying to get a glance at Rukia's scowling face. Rukia's teeth grinded against each other when she heard Ichigo snickering to himself. So he was getting full of himself, she thought? Rukia just knew this would happen.

"You are such a child-"

"I'm happy..." Ichigo stated, slumping forward. He saw the surprised look Rukia had. "I guess we're both to blame," he said, chuckling as he scratched the back of his head. "I thought you didn't like me because you thought I was gross for what I did in the past. Plus, I was beginning to think I was just Renji's substitution."

There was a brief silence before Rukia shook her head, sighing. "Boys... they always like to assume these things."

Ichigo eyed her. "And you're better than me?"

"I had my reasons to be cautious. You seemed like a predator always looking for a humping post."

Ichigo choked on his words. Was that the impression Rukia had of him all this time!? And all this time Ichigo thought he was being cool... his pride drained within a matter of seconds. After recovering, though not entirely, Ichigo placed his hands on Rukia's shoulders. "Even after I taught you how to be a real woman... you're still so ignorant."

Rukia's eyes narrowed, "Ignorant?"

"Yes - ignorant of a man's needs!" Ichigo shouted, trying to get through to Rukia. "One would think that after that stunt I pulled before you went on your date with Renji that you would take your time to research about sex to educate yourself. Apparently you did not."

By 'stunt,' Rukia assumed Ichigo meant that time when he practically molested her. "Pfft... whatever."

"I bet you're still a virgin," Ichigo muttered. Then it got real quiet. He gasped a little, "You _are_?" Then Ichigo died of joy. An untouched girl all to himself? Could it get any better? Yes... He would claim her as his. He would be the first to roam his hands across her petite body, the first to kiss her breasts, the first to be inside her-

Rukia smacked Ichigo upside his head. "What's with that lewd look? Go to sleep already you fool," she tucked herself to bed, turning her back to him. When Ichigo sat still, she threw him a glare that was equivalent to Medusa's glare. "Not going to?"

Ichigo's lips were shut tight. He pulled the sheets across his body, shielding himself from Rukia's view like an insecure girl. The sweat began to build on his face as he was unsure about how he was going to deal with his... _problem_. Rukia's eyes glazed down to where Ichigo's hands were. There, she saw a distinct bulge between his legs.

"You..." Rukia growled. How could Ichigo be thinking of erotic thoughts when she was belittling him? Was he a masochist? "Do something about... _that_." She wiggled to the edge of the bed, getting as far away from him as possible without falling off the mattress.

Ichigo's frown deepened, if that was even possible. "If my old man hears me using the shower so late, he's going to be suspicious."

"Then get rid of it some other way. Go... touch yourself over there," Rukia said while pointing to a corner of the room. She treated him like an animal that was infected with rabies. No, she was treating him like a kid that needed to go use the restroom when there was no toilet around. Ichigo eyeballed her, asking her if she was serious or not. "Dead serious."

"You don't have to treat this," Ichigo pointed to his groin, "like it's a beast." Rukia covered her eyes while swallowing her squeal. "Though... women have complimented that I'm like a beast in bed-"

Rukia kicked Ichigo off the bed. "Get. Away." Rukia held feral eyes while hissing at him. Such a look was enough to scare the demons away.

"But I can't just jack off. I need something to look at..." Ichigo sulked, then shuddered when Rukia's aura became more intense. "Can I just look at your face? Nothing else, I promise," he said quickly before she could kill him.

Rukia crossed her arms, looking at the hopeless orange-head. Ichigo was so pitiful. What did girls even see in him, she thought? He was such a child and such a fool. "Fine," Rukia finally said. Ichigo's eyes lit up with surprise. If he had a tail, it'd be wagging right about now. Rukia had _a lot_ of pride. Saying no to such a simple request would make her look cowardly. Besides, if posing for him would hurry and solve the problem, then why not? It's not like she had to do anything hard.

Ichigo sat on the ground beside the mattress while Rukia crossed her legs on top the bed, looking down on him. With his right hand, Ichigo pulled down his boxers; Rukia made sure to keep her eyes up. Her feet was constantly bouncing up and down. She began to feel nervous. How awkward was it having a guy get off on your face? Rukia let out a deep breath, trying to relax. "Could you not glare so much?" Ichigo asked, trying to sound polite. "It makes it hard to do my business. I feel like you might bite off my-"

"Get on with it."

Rukia closed her eyes, suddenly hearing Ichigo's breath becoming shorter. The silent room was accompanied by Ichigo's soft pants and grunts. She couldn't see anything, but her mind began to wander. She was wondering how Ichigo looked like while he was masturbating in front of her. Was he sweating? Was he still frowning? Was his heart racing? Strangely... Rukia found herself doing all those things. The sweat beads began to form on her face and neck, her brows were knit together, and her heart was pounding rapidly against her rib cage.

Why was she feeling so nervous? Or rather... _excited_? Rukia didn't like this one bit. She was confused at her own feelings. "Ru... kia," Ichigo moaned seductively. Rukia's heart plummeted hearing Ichigo's voice. He sounded so... erotic. There was a sensation building up in Rukia's gut. Her face began heating up. "Open your eyes and look at me," he instructed.

Without even hesitating, Rukia did as she was told. Her own actions surprised her. She thought she wouldn't comply, but she found herself obliging to him like she was under Ichigo's spell. Or perhaps she even secretly wanted to see. When her eyesight focused, she gasped at the sight. Her face became a thousand shades of pink.

Ichigo hunched forward, groping himself. He ran his hand along his manhood, gripping onto it and stroking it quickly. His penis was secreting a white liquid while he groaned in pleasure. The entire time, he was looking at Rukia and only at Rukia. This sight of him... Did _she _cause this? Rukia found it hard to believe that he became like this because of her. She always felt she had no sex appeal, but seeing him drowning in his own pleasure that resulted from her... Rukia thought otherwise.

"Rukia..." Ichigo spoke breathlessly. "Seeing me like this... do you still doubt that I have feelings for you?" he asked huskily. Rukia couldn't bring herself to speak. She was too stunned.

"Sh... shut up." Rukia turned her face away, too embarrassed to look Ichigo in the eye. "Oi, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, staggering backwards as Ichigo stood up and crawled onto the bed as well.

"Touch me too," Ichigo wheezed. Rukia's eyes bulged as she threatened him to not come any closer. She was terrified as climbed on top of her, naked from waist down. "You like me too, don't you?" he asked.

What was Rukia supposed to say? Ichigo was practically blackmailing her. "I-I can't do something so lewd..." Her throat began to dry. "It's strange," Rukia murmured. Her body shook with fright; she wasn't sure what to do in this situation.

"What's strange? Sex is a beautiful thing," Ichigo smirked.

"I don't want to hear that from you!" Rukia shouted in a low voice, careful to not disturb Ichigo's sleeping family. It'd be bad if they were caught like this. Rukia's violet eyes flashed red when she felt Ichigo push against her. She could feel his erection against her stomach, "Ichigo-"

"Rukia..."

Rukia froze. The way Ichigo looked at her with his yearning caramel eyes while saying her name like he was desperately trying to get a grasp of her existence... Had he always been this captivating? Without warning, he grabbed her wrist, guiding her hand towards his groin. "Ichi..." Rukia gasped, feeling something hot and throbbing beneath her fingertips.

"Wrap your hand around it. Hold it tight, but not too much. Move your hand up and down," Ichigo explained. The hair on Rukia's neck stood straight up; she couldn't believe she would do such a thing... It was okay, she told herself. She dealt with much more complicated things - this was nothing!

Still beneath Ichigo, Rukia began doing as she was told. It didn't take long before Ichigo began grunting and moaning in her ear again. Seeing his reaction made her a little... pleased. She held his cock in her tiny hand; it seemed so huge, she could barely wrap her hand around it. It was moist and really warm...

"Faster..." Ichigo panted, becoming weak to the knees. Her touch on him left a burning sensation - he winced, thrusting his hips forward. "Ah...! I'm coming," he croaked. He bent over, letting out a moan before climaxing. Rukia felt something hot in her hands. She lifted her hand to her face, seeing his semen over her fingertips.

Rukia was stiff, unsure what to do.

"Sorry," Ichigo apologized, grabbing the tissue box that lay on his drawer nearby. He cleaned her fingertips, "Is something... the matter?" he asked. Rukia looked dazed. "Did you want me to return the service-"

"I'm... going to the restroom," Rukia uttered, staggering out of the room.

Ichigo cleaned up his 'mess' before grinning, recalling Rukia's flushed face. "She wants me," he nodded, chuckling to himself. Meanwhile, Rukia was occupied in the bathroom, just sitting on the toilet after she washed her hands. She wasn't disgusted with Ichigo, that wasn't it. She was simply confused.

Rukia wasn't sure what she was feeling. While she was giving Ichigo a handjob, she felt herself getting a little excited but she didn't like that feeling. Why? Because it was something she wasn't used to before. It was like feeling rain for the first time - you're unsure what to think of it. But what scared Rukia the most was that she _enjoyed _the entire thing. She shivered, feeling unstable. She wanted Ichigo to touch her, to have his hands caressing her body and having his lips touch every curve of her body.

Rukia sat in the bathroom for a good five minutes, letting her own female boner ease out. There was no way she would go up to Ichigo and ask him to relieve her frustrations. No way. She had too much pride for that.

And so the night went on. Ichigo was finally able to sleep. Rukia, however, could not.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh my... I'm going to hell for this. And it's all your guys' fault for making me do this! I couldn't write the lemon, unfortunately. But I DID give you guys a little something something (*wink), so you gotta give me credit for that at least haha!

Anyway, preparing myself for writing this took like four hours. I had to go look at some IchiRuki pictures on Tumblr just to get myself in the mood for writing this. I also went and read some lemons (which I usually don't do) to pump myself up. Yeah. I really did all this.

So you guys BETTER review and say something nice, because I'm over here traumatized like Rukia. Just kidding. She's not traumatized btw. I hope the ending didn't make it sound like that. The ending of this chapter isn't supposed to foreshadow anything ominous, if that's what you're wondering. So don't get worried over that.

Anyway, please review and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm not really sure who would though since it was practically about jacking Ichigo off. Sorry about that! I really couldn't bring myself to write a lemon. It's too soon for that, I felt. Well, enjoy the rest of your day. I hope this chapter gave you guys a female boner. If not... then boo! :p

I am never ever going back to read this chapter again. This is the last time I'm ever going to look at it.


	7. Heartbreak

**"Heartbreak"**

"It was really nice to meet you, Kurosaki-san," Rukia spoke politely, bowing her head as she bid farewell to Isshin. "You too Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan," she turned to Ichigo's two sisters. Yuzu smiled, waving as Karin simply nodded. Ichigo stood at the gate, waiting for Rukia. He gave her a look saying that if she didn't hurry up, he'd come over and drag her home if he had to.

"Be sure to visit us often," Isshin said while reaching out to shake Rukia's hand.

"Ah!" Rukia pulled away, sticking her hands into her pockets. The Kurosaki family stared at her curiously. "Er... germs, you know?" She laughed suspiciously. Even though she did wash her hand about a dozen times or more, Rukia could still feel Ichigo on her hand. There was no way she could shake Isshin's hand after what she did last night with Ichigo.

"Ah yes... Spreading germs wouldn't be ideal, right? Anyway, I don't want to burden you," Isshin whispered close to Rukia, "but please keep an eye on my son. He really is a dependent kid." Isshin let out a cackle. Honestly, Rukia saw no resemblance between Ichigo and his father.

After exchanging a few last words, Rukia left with Ichigo. "What did my old man tell you?" Ichigo asked, crossing his arms and irking a brow.

Rukia responded with a serious face, "Your father told me to remind you not to wet your bed." She smiled, pleased with Ichigo's reaction. His jaw dropped as he cursed, swearing to get back at his father. She leaned her head back, looking up at the vast blue sky. "It's amazing how fast the weather can change, isn't it?"

Ichigo looked up to see a rainbow forming across the cloudless sky. A semi-smile replaced his pout, "Yeah..." So even Ichigo could make such a face, Rukia thought. Her eyes glanced down at his hand. What would he say if she were to suddenly hold his hand? Her hand twitched, feeling the urge to touch his. "You're staring," Ichigo said. Rukia turned away, becoming stiff as she feared getting caught by him. "Ah... Am I that handsome that you can't keep your eyes off me?" He smirked.

Secretly, Rukia wanted to answer yes. It was the truth. Ichigo _is _quite beautiful when he isn't scowling. If Rukia was to compare, she'd say he was like a marble sculpture that had no imperfections. "Please. You just had something on your face," she lied, laughing when Ichigo began cleaning his face with his sleeve.

"You know," Ichigo said, "you're really different from the first impression I had of you."

"What was your impression of me?"

"I thought you were boring. I even wondered if you were human. Anyone would though, really."

Rukia's eyes twitched with irritation. "Asking for a deathwish eh?" She showed him her 'fearsome' fists. Ichigo gave a loud 'tch,' before asking her what her impression of him was. Rukia wondered if it was safe to say. Ichigo was always quick to get angry when someone insulted him, especially when it concerned his old profession as a prostitute. Because he seemed like he was in a good mood, Rukia didn't feel the need to lie. "A... stray dog," she quietly murmured.

Ichigo got quiet. Rukia held her breath, thinking it was best to apologize. "Ha," Ichigo chuckled. It was then that Rukia saw a hint of sorrow in his eyes, accompanied by regret. He wasn't upset because that was how Rukia saw him. Rather, he was angry that he let himself sink so low. "You know, I first lost my virginity to a friend of mine."

"Did you like her?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo shook his head. "I was 17 at the time and so was she. We both lost precious people. In my case, I lost my mom. Perhaps that night we were dreading over the past, and so we felt the need for contact... maybe we were just licking each other's wounds; I don't know, but it just happened."

"Is that the reason you sold yourself to women? It wasn't for the money; it was because you wanted company?"

"Yeah... I suppose."

That just changes everything, Rukia thought. She always thought he was just a fool for doing something so reckless. But she did admire his guts, as she confessed long ago. The man she saw under the rain near her workplace a while back wasn't a stray dog. He was a broken soul. "You know... you're different from the first impression I had of you too."

"Hn," Ichigo mused, "I hope it changed for the better." Rukia wondered if it did change for the better. Was learning that Ichigo did what he did was out of grief a good thing? Rukia wished Ichigo didn't have to experience such a painful loss. "You look depressed," he noted. Rukia hung her head low. Was she that obvious? "Maybe we can do something similar to last night to get your mind off your worries." Ichigo gave a cocky grin, holding his nose in the air- "Itai," he winced, grabbing his arm after Rukia punched him hard.

"You're really a pervert," Rukia snarled.

"I'm kidding," Ichigo said, though that was a lie. "Let's go to Dashing Diner. I don't have work today, but we can get a discount on food since I work there."

They walked towards Ichigo's workplace. "Okay, but you're paying."

"Of course I am. I'm the only one employed out of the two of us, aren't I?"

"You don't like taking care of me?" Rukia asked.

"I never said that," Ichigo said, winking to her. "We're here," he threw his arms open, revealing his 'castle.' The diner was small, but it had a cozy and nostalgic feeling to it. The aroma of coffee was faint, but it was indeed coming from the diner. Dashing Diner was painted with red stripes on the roof and on the windows were displays of food that it sold. On top the roof was a-

"Rabbit...!" Rukia's eyes twinkled at Dashing Diner's mascot. The giant rabbit stood on top of the roof beside a burger. For a second, Ichigo thought she looked like she was worshipping a God.

"Oh yeah... I almost forgot about your obsession with rabbits," Ichigo said, laughing awkwardly. "Let's hurry in before more people start coming. I'm starving." Ichigo patted his stomach while leading Rukia into the diner. The smell of breakfast filled his nostrils; it was a scent he'd never forget now. "Let's sit here." The two of them at the table nearest to the door.

"I-CHI-_GO_!" Both Rukia and Ichigo shuddered at the annoying voice. They both looked to the side to see a man approaching them; it was Kenji. Rukia's eyes trailed down to Kenji's apron where she saw another... rabbit. Ichigo was starting to feel a little jealous. Heck, Rukia liked the rabbit more than she liked Ichigo! How depressing this was! "Oh, who's this? Your sister?" Kenji asked.

Ichigo shot him a deathly glare. "This is Rukia."

Kenji's eyes lit up with realization. Rukia wondered what the man was doing as he studied her. "This is it? This midget is your- owww!" He held his nose in pain as his face met Ichigo's fist. Kenji rolled a tissue up and stuck it in his nose to stop his bleeding, "It was a pleasure to meet you Rukia-sama. Feel free to order whatever you want; it's on the house." He scurried away afterward with his tail between his legs.

"Sorry about that. Kenji is a little..." Ichigo swirled his finger around his ear, signalling that Kenji was a little whack in the head.

"What an interesting man," Rukia chuckled lightly before glancing over the menu. "From what it sounds like, you've been talking about me?" Ichigo gulped, seeing Rukia's raised brows. For a 'midget,' she was really intimidating. Her eyes could be so cold sometimes.

"I-It was nothing bad, I swear."

"Mhm..." Rukia slowly took her eyes off Ichigo. He sighed in relief, pulling at his collar. "Alright," she set down her menu, "I'm done. What are you ordering, Ichigo?"

Ichigo tossed his menu to the side. "I'll get whatever you're getting. It's too early in the morning to be thinking," he yawned, stretching his long arms.

"Deciding what to eat isn't something you have to think hard about. Ah, I forgot. We're talking about you here." Rukia scoffed, amused when Ichigo sneered at her.

"Are you two ready to order?"

"Yes- Inoue?" Ichigo's eyes nearly fell out of his skull at the sight of his childhood friend. She wore the Dashing Diner uniform, striking a pose in front of them. With her pretty face and long mermaid-like hair, it didn't even seem like she was working as a waitress at Dashing Diners. Rather, it seemed like she was modeling for them. "When did you start working here?"

"When it was raining that night." Orihime turned to Rukia, who was quite surprised at the beauty. "Are you Kurosaki-kun's friend? My name is Inoue Orihime," she said exuberantly. She held out her hand, expecting a handshake from Rukia.

"Ah, I'm Kuchiki Rukia. You don't want to hold my hand... Germs, y'know?" Rukia laughed, turning light pink.

"Tch... that's rude, you know? My little friend didn't give you germs- ah!" Ichigo felt Rukia kick him from beneath the table. He leaned forward, groaning.

Orihime laughed, oblivious. "Are you going to order the 'Happy Fries?' Or perhaps the 'Krispy Bacon with Eggs and Pancakes?' I recommend that one because... well I love bacon and eggs and pancakes!" Orihime rambled jubilantly. "You should really try that dish with a side of a whole bowl of mustard!"

Rukia winced at how gross that sounded. "I think I'll try that dish, but _without _the mustard please. Same goes for Ichigo."

Orihime nodded, "Two Krispy Bacon with Eggs and Pancakes coming your way!" She zoomed back into the kitchen at the speed of light.

Ichigo covered his eyes, knowing Rukia would dump him for having such strange friends. A strange family plus whacky friends didn't make him look too good. "They're usually not that crazy, Rukia. They're only like this on Mondays-"

"What are you babbling about?" Rukia asked. "I think your friends are... _lively_. I'm a little jealous of you."

"Wow..." Ichigo leaned his chin on his hand, "You're weird-"

"Kurosaki Ichigo?!" Once again, Rukia and Ichigo shuddered. This time, it wasn't Kenji nor was it Orihime. Rukia blinked a few times at the woman standing behind Ichigo. Ichigo turned around with an annoyed expression, only having it turned into a surprised look when he realized who it was. The woman had a huge rack, probably even bigger than Orihime's, and lips that had one too many injections. Her blonde hair was clearly dyed and full of extensions. She was as real as real could get. "Why so surprised darling? I haven't seen you in so long - oh," she moaned, "you don't know how many lonely nights I spent without you!"

Ichigo's eyes widened at the sight of her breasts heading straight towards him like a train going five-hundred miles per hour. The woman suffocated him with her breasts as she held him tightly without intentions of letting him go. "Mmmf!" Ichigo's voice muffled.

"Excuse me," Rukia asked with the attitude of a lioness. "Who are you?"

The blonde's eyes perked at Rukia. "The name's Ayame-chan! Are you Ichigo's sister?" Rukia was not amused. Where did they see the resemblance in Ichigo and her? "Or are you perhaps one of his clients?" she whispered curiously with eyes bulging. Clients..? That was when it struck Rukia that this Ayame girl was one of Ichigo's past clients. She laughed, embarrassed. "Whoops! I didn't mean to intrude like this! I've never seen Ichigo with a girl like you before. You must be new to his service?"

"No, that's not-"

"Oh my goodness... Wait until tonight~ Ichigo really is a..." Ayame blushed while shaking her hips, "a _beast_." Ah, so Ichigo wasn't lying when he said that women called him a beast in bed. "Well, once you're done with him, please let me know-"

"Ichigo isn't doing that sort of thing anymore," Rukia spoke with venom in her voice. Ayame was so surprised at the sudden aggression, she finally let Ichigo go. Ichigo collapsed, gasping for air. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak of him like he was some item."

There was a brief silence before Orihime came back with the food. "Two plates of Bacon with-... I sense malice in the air," she frowned. Orihime saw the determination in Rukia's face - her eyes softened. So Rukia was the one who saved Ichigo, Orihime realized. "Excuse me ma'am," Orihime turned to Ayame, "er..." Orihime tried her best to sound menacing, "Bad behavior will not be tolerated. I will have to excuse you if you cause further disruption."

Ayame gave a smug look at both Rukia and Orihime before she gave a loud 'hmph' and stormed out of the diner. Orihime sighed; being tough was hard work. "Thank you, Inoue-san," Rukia said.

Orihime was surprised at her own actions. "It was nothing," she kicked at the ground, flustered. "Um, I'm curious though. I'm just inferring, but it sounded like your relationship with Ichigo is more than just friendship." Rukia held an unconscious Ichigo in her arms before nodding shyly. "Oh... ah, haha," Orihime laughed to hide her sadness. "Well enjoy your food! Don't be afraid to try out the mustard with it though," she said before running back into the kitchen.

Orihime closed the door behind her before collapsing to the floor. Her eyes filled with unshed tears; she forced a smile but to no avail. She felt so hopeless. She felt terrible. The feeling of jealousy was one of the worst things to have in the heart.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh no! Our poor Orihime is heartbroken :'(

I know a few of you hate Orihime's guts, and I'm fine with that and I respect your opinions on her, but please don't bash on her too much. Some people call her a slut and whore, and I'm not hating on those people, but I wish you'd have more respect for her character.

Look at her from a different perspective, I guess? The girl can't help it if her genes gave her Z cups (kidding)! But yeah, she's really a happy and good person in the manga. And I plan to keep her this way in my story. There won't be an evil Orihime trying to separate Rukia and Ichigo. At all.

There might be some... _problems _in the future with Ichigo and Rukia's relationship that might involve Orihime, but I promise it won't be a result of Orihime's interferences. I love all Bleach characters (including Orihime. Heck, I even love Aizen despite him killing _, one of my fav. characters! I won't say who he killed because some of you might not have gotten that far into the series yet, so I don't want to spoil!) and I hope you all do too! :D

Anyway, please **review**! :)


	8. The Gotei 13

**A/N: **I just love that some of my readers complain about how stupid Rukia is xD

I find it ironic because she's supposed to be the smart businesswoman, and here she is, completely ignorant to Ichigo's feelings. Hey, Rukia is an amateur at love okay!? _*Holds Rukia in my arms protectively, hissing at you like an angry baboon. _(Do baboons hiss?)

Oh and I'd like to thank my readers. Ya'll know who you are, but really, it means_ a lot_ that you guys are supporting me! Writing has its dark sides too, and you guys are like my light. That's how special you are to me *o*

* * *

"**The Gotei 13"**

Ichigo stirred awake. The first thought that came into his mind was bright lights. Spinning around him, he could see little flashes of yellow. He rubbed his eyes and eventually, his distorted vision became clear- "Breasts!?" Ichigo jolted, clearly traumatized from the incident earlier. He looked ahead, seeing the familiar wall of his apartment home. Yes, there was no mistaking it. The cracks and unknown black substances on the wall definitely belonged to his home.

Ichigo grabbed his head, groaning from the headache that was slowly eating away at him. He looked to the left- "Gah!" Ichigo pushed himself up against the wall, panting at the sight of cleavage. The breasts even came back to haunt him! Ichigo just wanted to see Rukia's flat chest, oh how he missed them.

"Kurosaki-kun, it's me, Orihime-chan!" Orihime stood straight, letting her breasts fall back into her shirt. Ichigo wondered if this was a dream. "Kuchiki-san went to grab some pain killers for you at the store. It seems you might have gotten a fever from her, she said."

Ichigo wiped away the sweat on his forehead. "What are you doing here, Inoue? I really don't need a babysitter," Ichigo extended out his arms, stretching. Did Rukia really not think he was capable of staying home alone? Well... it'd be hypocritical of him to think that. He did, afterall, stay at her side 24/7 when she was sick too.

Orihime waved her arms in front of her, "Kuchiki-san asked me to watch over you while she went away. Ah! I'm not trying to say I don't want to be here - I like helping others!"

"Thank you," Ichigo said, trying to put her at ease. He did more than that. Orihime was dumbfounded. "Really... I used to never get sick like this. I think it's the atmosphere of this place that's causing this," Ichigo glared at his surroundings. The whole place was just so unsanitary that were was no way living there could be healthy. Living under the bridge might've even been a better choice.

"Really? I think this place is unique," Orihime grinned. Ha. Only someone like her could see something positive in such a creepy place. "It's like Halloween here everyday," she admired, getting goosebumps and the chills.

"Thanks, I guess?" Ichigo said, but more like asked. "By the way... You started working at Dashing Diners two weeks ago. How come I never saw you?"

"That's because we got different shifts," Orihime said, a little disappointed. The reason she applied to Dashing Diners was because she wanted to get closer to Ichigo. The other reason was because Kenji insisted (quite desperately) for her to work there. In the end, Orihime's actions were futile as Ichigo was already seeing Rukia. "I'm thinking about quitting soon, so we probably won't ever get to see each other there again."

"Already?" Ichigo asked, a little surprised. Orihime was usually enthusiastic about... well, everything. If Orihime had a job at the zoo to clean elephant dung all day, Ichigo was sure that she would still be excited about something like that. He couldn't think of a reason as to why she'd decide to quit. "Is it because Kenji's harassing you?"

Orihime shook her head furiously. "I just..." How could she bring herself to say the truth? "It's not for me."

"If there's something bothering you, you have to say it. If it's Kenji, I'll stick his head in the fryer if that'll help you stay," Ichigo assured. Back at Dashing Diners, Kenji sneezed, wondering if someone was speaking behind his back.

Orihime laughed with a solemn expression. If Ichigo kept being so nice to her, it'd really be hard to detach herself from him, she felt. "It's nothing, really." She held her smiling pokerface. Ichigo would never be able to tell that she was slowly being torn apart inside.

* * *

"That idiot... serves him right to get sick. He _insisted _to get close to me that last night despite the fact that I was still sick. Ichigo, your illness is a consequence you received for being a wolf!" Rukia kicked a can on the sidewalk. It clunked, rolling on the floor until it came to a stop at a nearby trashcan. She was never the type to talk to herself like this, but when she was angry, she cursed to the heavens like it was nobody's business.

Why was Rukia so upset? No, upset wasn't the right word. It was _jealousy_. Still, Rukia wouldn't dare admit that she was succumbing to one of the seven deadly sins.

"Stupid Ichigo. If you were going to sell yourself, you could've at least sold yourself to someone who wasn't so... Rude!" Rukia's head sizzled with anger just recalling that Ayame chick. Just recalling the words that woman said made Rukia want to scream. She kicked the can again, further this time as she put more effort into her soccer skills. "Who did she think she was to speak to me like she... like she owned you?"

Ah... Rukia wasn't angry at Ichigo. She was just directing her anger towards him because she was a bully like that. "Is this 'Strawberry' a pet of yours?" Rukia halted in her tracks, stopping herself from kicking the can again. Her eyes became bigger, if that was even possible. Did she dare look over her shoulder? "It's been so long Rukia-san."

"Ukitake-san..." Rukia spun around, bowing her head slightly to the man. As always, Ukitake was never seen without a smile. He was always the kind of man who was approachable. Only realizing that she'd been caught screaming at the air, Rukia wanted to dig her grave right there. "H-How are you?" she asked lamely.

"I'm doing fine-" Ukitake broke out coughing. Yeah, just fine.

"Sit down over here," Rukia guided him to a nearby bench. Ukitake laughed, embarrassed at how frail he was. "I never expected to see you hanging around here."

"I could say the same. Your brother's been trying to get in contact with you. You haven't returned his calls."

Rukia avoided eye contact. She felt guilty. Of course, she never meant to give Byakuya the cold shoulder, it wasn't like that. She'd like to say she was just trying to discover herself, yeah. "Nii-sama..." she said softly. She hadn't said that word in a long time. She honestly did care for her step-brother. It wasn't like there was a grudge towards him that made her ignore his calls. "How is the Gotei 13?"

The Gotei 13 was a business company ran by the CEO Yamamoto. Byakuya worked under him along with eleven other people. One of those eleven people happened to be Ukitake. The Gotei 13 was a company to be feared among others. The leaders of the Gotei 13 were known for their ruthlessness in the business area. If the Gotei 13 wanted something, they had it. "It's just fine, though I think everyone misses you," Ukitake said, trying to brighten up her mood. "You know... my secretary just quit. I have an open spot for you if you'd like-"

"No," Rukia said, surprising Ukitake. It wasn't just a simple no; she practically shouted. Thin lines formed across the pale man's forehead as he worried for her. There were many reasons why Rukia didn't want to be involved with the Gotei 13. One of them included her brother. Byakuya was fearsome. If he found out that she was unemployed and living with a man who had a no good reputation... hell would break loose. "I appreciate your offer, Ukitake-san, but it's not necessary."

"That's fine," Ukitake nodded. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to confide in me or your brother. He is your family, afterall."

Rukia wished Ukitake wasn't so good at perceiving people. "I'm not hiding anything," Rukia said, hoping he wouldn't go off and tell Byakuya stories. Well, she really didn't have to worry about that at all, honestly. Ukitake was a respectable man for a reason. He was gentle and honest - he wasn't the type to go spread rumors. It was against his morals and principles.

"I know you aren't," Ukitake grinned. He stood up, preparing to depart. "I won't tell you how to run your life, but if you can, do talk with Byakuya-san sometimes. He may not seem to be the type, but he worries about you."

Rukia laughed mentally to herself. Byakuya worrying over her? It was something she'd like to see, though she knew she would never witness it. The only thing the stoic man cared about was the company and his pride. "I will," Rukia lied, crossing her fingers behind her back. She felt disgusted at herself for lying to Ukitake with a smile on her face. The poor man didn't deserve her nasty lies.

"I'm glad," Ukitake said, buying it.

* * *

Ichigo lay in bed, bundled up with thick blankets. Rukia couldn't help but think he resembled a caterpillar that was ready to become a butterfly... No, he looked more like sushi. "What's bothering... you?" Ichigo gave a loud sniffle. "That's the third juicebox you went through," he looked at the ground to see three empty juiceboxes.

"Hm?" Rukia lifted her eyes up off the ground. "Did you say something?"

Ichigo gave a dull stare. There was definitely something bothering her. He struggled, rolling over to her side. "Is it because of that chick earlier?" he asked. "She was just a client, nothing more. If it makes you feel better, I'll call her up and end things officially-"

"You don't have to do that," Rukia smiled, a little happy that he was thinking of her. Ichigo worried even more. He preferred to see the Rukia that was constantly mean to him; it was more reassuring.

"I wish you'd tell me what's on your mind."

"There's nothing on my mind-"

"You're lying," Ichigo accused, frustrated at her stubborness. He hated how Rukia would just keep things bottled inside. Didn't she trust him? Or was he not worthy of bearing her burdens for her? How insulting that was to his ego. "Though, I shouldn't really be saying this because I'd be a hypocrite since I haven't been truly honest with you either. I've always been thinking that something was wrong with you; ever since things ended badly with Renji, you've been different ever since."

"How am I different?" Rukia asked, a little annoyed.

"You just are!" Ichigo growled, throwing himself out of the blankets in anger. "You threw away your job and you settled for this shithole," Ichigo flung his arms, pointing out the disgusting mold on the walls of their apartment. "It's like you don't even care about anything anymore. Rather, it seems like you're running away from something."

Rukia and Ichigo glared at each other; their faces were inches away from each other. It almost seemed like they were rabid dogs ready to bite each other to death. "So you're saying you liked me better when I had money, is that it?"

Ichigo laughed, unsure if he could hold onto his sanity any longer. Rukia just made things so complicated - Ichigo wanted to yell to the world. "You're _twisting _my words," he spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm telling you to pull yourself together. We've been together for about two months now and it just feels like..." Rukia glared at him, seeming like she was going to kill him if he said another word. "It feels like you're barely here."

Rukia's narrowed eyes relaxed; her muscles relaxed as she slumped back into her seat. Ichigo apologized, suddenly worried that he might have hurt her feelings.

"You're wrong if you think avoiding your problems will solve anything. If this has anything to do with..." Did Ichigo dare say his name again? "If this has anything to do with Renji, tell me now so I can leave." Rukia lifted her head; she looked horrified. "I'd rather not be here if it's him you want." Ichigo's was serious. He didn't want to screw around - he wanted something serious. If he was wasting his time, then what was the point of staying?

"Ichigo," Rukia choked. "Don't be stupid-"

"Maybe we should just stop this facade."

_Silence_. . .

Rukia's lips pursed into a thin line; she could only see the top of Ichigo's orange head as he held his head low apologetically. Her hand formed into fists as she trembled. Was this really the extent of their relationship? Because Rukia couldn't be honest to her feelings, the person she cared about threatened her like this... There was a pang of fear in her chest that ached so terribly.

* * *

**A/N: **I know, you're all sharpening your pitchforks, BUT don't be quick to kill me just yet!

Stay tuned for the next chapter and please **review **:)


	9. Lone Panther

"**Lone Panther"**

"Maybe we should just stop this facade." Ichigo waited for a reaction from Rukia.

Rukia's ears shut of all sounds; it sounded like she was under water, drowning. "Liar..." she muttered lowly. Ichigo cupped his ear, trying to listen to her. "You're the liar. If you cared for me as much as you claimed, then why are you giving up so easily, fool?" she shouted, suddenly dashing out the door like a rabbit.

"Rukia!" Ichigo called out to her, though she was already gone before he knew it. He looked outside, seeing how dark it was already. It'd be bad if Rukia encountered a bunch of thugs... Ichigo sighed, chasing after her.

* * *

Rukia sat on a bench beneath a streetlight. She wasn't paying attention to where she was running to earlier. All she knew was that she was cold and alone. She jumped a few times, hearing the dogs from nearby houses barking and howling at the full moon. A few cats even crossed her path as they scavenged the trash cans... some looked like they were scavenging for souls.

The ex-businessman sighed, extending out her hand to nobody, "Ichigo, I'm sorr-... Ichigo, I am..." She struggled to say the right words. She closed her eyes, irritated at her own pride. She didn't think she was the one at fault. Of course, Rukia would never admit to defeat, but at times, she just had to put her pride to the side. "I apolo-_geeze_... Apologizing is hard," she sulked, giving up. "Ichigo you useless strawberry; this is all your fault," she grumbled.

Was it wrong that Rukia didn't want to say what she was thinking? Ichigo wasn't even on target - he had assumed all the wrong things. She was just concerned about the Gotei 13 and her brother; it wasn't like she was wallowing because of Renji or Ayame. Rukia's fingers twitched, just wanting to choke Ichigo to death.

"And how am I different?" Rukia asked herself. "I'm not running away from anything-"

"Well well... what do we have here? A damsel in distress?"

Rukia sighed at the scratchy voice. She threw her head to the side, seeing a strange looking man. His spiky hair was a shade of electric blue and he had the smirk of a cocky prince. He had the eyes of a madman with green marks at the edge of them. He donned a sleeveless sweater, revealing a pair of muscular arms. His hands were stuffed in his sweats as he eyed her like a hungry panther. There was no doubt that something bad was going to happen. "Shut up. I'm not interested," Rukia waved him off like a pest before being consumed in her thoughts again.

The stranger glowered at Rukia, "You got some nerve to be talking like a mighty bitch," he said snarkily.

"You're one to talk," she responded, a little too fearless. Someone in their right mind would've ran or screamed for help, but Rukia just wasn't feeling too kind today. "What's your name kid?" Rukia asked, insulting the man all the further.

"I aint gotta tell some midget granny like you. You don't deserve to know my name," he bellowed while laughing maniacally.

'_How cocky...' _ thought Rukia. _'He kind of resembles someone though...' _ In that moment, Rukia thought of Ichigo. The blue-haired man was rude just like Ichigo when she first met him. Plus, he had that look in his eyes... the look of a lone wolf. "Here," she delved into her pocket, pulling out some change. "Get yourself a soda or something."

The man stared dumbly at her. He was threatening her and she was offering leftover money? Who did Rukia think he was - a baby cat without fangs? "The fuck do you take me for-"

"Rukia!" Ichigo called, arriving at the scene. He froze at the sight of the strange looking person.

The man sneered at Ichigo. He took his eyes off Rukia as he was now interested in chewing up Ichigo. "Your girlfriend?" he asked, cackling like a hyena. Ichigo glared, asking if he did anything to Rukia. "No... but I was about to screw her up-" The man fell to the ground, grabbing his jaw after Ichigo clocked him hard. "You son of a..." he stood up, sending a punch at Ichigo's direction. He missed Ichigo's pretty face the first time but was able to knee Ichigo in the gut the second time.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried, somehow trying to cheer him on the midst of the fight. The two men exchanged blows at each other. Perhaps they sensed evil in the air, Rukia didn't know, but the dogs suddenly started barking even louder. Minutes passed and at this point, Ichigo was about to go down. He had a cut above his brow and a bleeding nose... The other man had a cut lip and a black eye that was forming already.

"You're going down asshole!" The man shouted. Despite his wounds, he was still grinning maliciously. Rukia figured he probably enjoyed fighting very much. He lunged at Ichigo.

Ichigo scoffed, stepping to the side and extending his leg, "After you suck my dick, of course." The man tripped over Ichigo's leg, falling once more. "Rukia, let's go!" Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand, pulling her to him and running towards home. Rukia ran behind Ichigo as fast as she could. She grimaced, seeing how badly hurt he was. "Did you see how crazy he was? I haven't fought like that in a while," Ichigo laughed, obviously not concerned with his injuries.

They finally reached home. "Are you okay?" was all Rukia could ask. She couldn't look him in the eye. Ichigo's face was torn up because of her recklessness.

"Yeah-... no," Ichigo winced, suddenly feeling the pain now that his adrenaline rush was going away. He lay on the couch, grabbing his bruising ribs. He could see the guilt in in Rukia's glossy eyes. "I'm not going to die. I just hope this fella," he reached underneath his jacket, pulling out a bunny, "is okay." Rukia's eyes lit up at the sight of the orange bunny. It wiggled it's nose, licking Ichigo's fingertips. It was perfectly fine. "It was really hard to fight while trying to protect him at the same time. If I looked uncool, blame him. I fight better without baggage on me," Ichigo swore.

"C-Can I?" Rukia stuttered. Her hands trembled, wanting so desperately to touch the fluffy rabbit.

Ichigo smiled even though it hurt to do so. "Go ahead; he is yours. I promised I'd get you one last time, didn't I?" Rukia grabbed the rabbit, holding it dearly against her chest. He couldn't help but feel a jab through his heart as he saw how happy she was from his present to her. "It's an apology gift. Sorry for what I said earlier; I didn't mean it. I was just... testing to see if you cared about me or not."

Rukia sneered, angry at his test. Still, she couldn't stay angry after what he went through for her. "Did I pass your test?" she asked, a little afraid to know the truth. Rukia held the bunny closer to her, stroking it's soft fur.

"The fact that you're still here after learning about my past... you passed from the beginning."

Rukia gave a bitter smile. "I'm also... sorry," she said, sighing in relief as she managed to say the last word with ease. "The only reason why I'm 'different' and living in this, as you say, 'shithole,' is because I'm afraid that people will only see me for my wealth and fortune."

Ichigo frowned, "I don't see you for that."

"I feared you would."

"But I don't." Ichigo could care less about the money. All it did was bring back horrible memories of his days as a male prostitute. "Still, that doesn't explain why treat me like a roommate and not a boyfriend."

Rukia blushed. Did she really have to say why? "... shy... all..." she murmured, half her words coming out as slurs.

"Huh?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm shy, that's all!" Rukia shouted in agony, scaring the bunny. She gasped, holding her precious bunny to her face, apologizing. Ichigo glared at the fluffball, a little annoyed... and jealous. "Every girl is afraid of losing their... v-card," she said. "Besides, there are different ways to express love you know. S-sex isn't the only way."

Ichigo couldn't believe it. She was _shy_? Too shy to even give a simple kiss? "Good lord..." Ichigo threw up his arms, "What did I tell you about confidence Rukia?"

"You said no guy likes a girl who isn't confident in herself..." Rukia turned sour, trembling and ready to cry. Did that mean Ichigo wouldn't like her if she didn't gain the confidence to have sex with him?

"Ah, change of words! I said that when I was still a jerk. What I mean to say now is... there's nothing you need to be afraid of. I don't mind you being shy, but have some confidence and trust that I won't hurt you... and I'm not saying that in the perverted sense." Rukia looked up at him, seeing truth in his golden eyes. "If you don't want sex, that's fine. I'll wait... another month if I have to." Rukia raised her brow. "Okay fine, half a year. No? Fine, a year, deal?"

Rukia shook her head, "You're still the same perverted Ichigo I met," she laughed softly to herself. "Hm," she raised the bunny to her eye-level, staring at its black irises. "I'll name him... Kon."

"Pfft, what a weird name."

"I don't want to hear that coming from you, _Strawberry_," Rukia mocked, smirking. "But thank you."

"Yeah yeah, whatever-" Ichigo froze, paralyzed as he felt Rukia's lips crash onto his. God damn did it hurt because of the cut on his lip, but damn did it feel so right. Holy cow, maybe he didn't have to wait a year! Ichigo closed his eyes, losing himself to the moment. He could taste his own blood, but he could taste Rukia on his tongue as well. "Rukia," he whispered out, yearning for her touch. "I- eh?"

Rukia pulled away, turning red as a tomato. "That's all you're getting. Goodnight!" She quickly ran off with Kon, slamming the bedroom door behind her and locking Ichigo out.

Ichigo smirked, "What a tease."

* * *

**Next Day - Dashing Diners**

"Oi, Ichigo! Hurry up and finish washing the dishes! Are you king here? No,_ I_ am!" Kenji shouted, smacking Ichigo behind the head. Ichigo grumbled, scrubbing harder on the plates. He swore Kenji was targeting him today. The guy was making him take out the trash, mopping the floor, cooking, etc. Meanwhile... Ichigo looked over at Orihime who was busy flipping burger patties on the stove. "Good job Orihime-chan~" Kenji grinned, "Keep up the good work!"

"Eh... but I burned 24 patties already," Orihime pointed her spatula towards the trash can. "And I almost burned down the place-"

"Don't worry about that," Kenji spoke smoothly with a twinkle in his eye. "I just hope your pretty hands," he held Orihime's tiny ones in his large ones, "aren't getting too tired?"

Orihime smiled, "I'm fine! However..." She glanced over at Ichigo who was barely conscious and cursing beneath his breath, "I don't know if Kurosaki-kun is okay. Maybe he should get a break."

Kenji held no pity for the poor Strawberry. He sighed, stomping over to Ichigo's side and elbowing him on the side. Ichigo swallowed a yelp; the bruises he received from that blue-haired man still remained. When Kenji and Orihime first saw him and his beat up self, they both were wide-eyed. Kenji just laughed afterwards though. He was quite the uncaring man. "What?" Ichigo asked, annoyed and teary-eyed from the pain.

"Take a break. Don't think I care about your welfare; I'm only doing this because Orihime-chan insisted." Kenji eyed him with envy. Ah, so that was it. The reason Kenji was slowly killing Ichigo was because he was envious of Ichigo's relationship with Orihime. "Don't try anything with Orihime-chan; I'll be watching." He pointed two fingers at his eyes and back to Ichigo before slithering out of the kitchen.

Ichigo staggered over and took a seat on a large box that was beside the stove. Orihime glanced over at him, seeing his unintentional scowling face. She stood up straight and stiff, her lips pursed, her eyes darted forward and her hand became shaky. How could she focus with him so close to her? "H-How was your day Kurosaki-kun?" she asked, cracking a crooked smile.

"Hm? Tiring, I guess," Ichigo said, squinting his eye while imagining the horrible things he should do to Kenji.

"How's Kuchiki-san?" Orihime jumped, a little started at the sudden dark atmosphere. Ichigo glared at the ground. "Did something bad happen?"

Ichigo held his head, rubbing his temples. Only someone who was indebted to the yakuza would hold such a terrified face! "I made a mistake," he murmured. "I gave her a rabbit, and now it's all she cares about." This annoyed Ichigo _very _much. Rukia only knew the rabbit for less than an hour and she let it sleep with her! In the same bed!

Orihime blinked her round eyes a few times before giggling warmly. "She must be really happy," was all Orihime could utter. Being around Ichigo like this was so painful... "Today will be my last day working here."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Ichigo asked. Orihime nodded. Honestly, she wanted to work there a while longer. Kenji was nice to her, she liked the smell of freshly cooked patties on her clothing, and most of all, she liked seeing Ichigo. "You're making an ug-..." Ichigo didn't finish his sentence, because as he recalled, Rukia said calling girls 'ugly' wasn't a nice thing to say. "You have a pained look."

Orihime quickly rubbed her face with her hands, trying to get the tense muscles between her brows to relax so she'd stop grimacing. It was no use. She was hopelessly in love with Ichigo and there was nothing she could do to help it. She wished Ichigo would be the one to stay by her side; he was all she had. She woke up this morning, thinking about her deceased brother. Her house was so empty. Eating alone was lonely. Having no one to confide in was sad.

"Inoue, if you want to work here, then stay. No one is stopping you."

"I can't-"

"Why not?" Ichigo asked, staring at her with his piercing gaze. She couldn't take her eyes off him. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Friends... Orihime continued flipping the burgers. "That's exactly why I can't work here." Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and confusion. She forced a smile, "When I'm around Kurosaki-kun, my heart beats so fast that it feels like it'll burst. It hurts being near you." Orihime wasn't sure what overcame her, but perhaps she just couldn't contain it in anymore. She just wanted to be honest so that she could somehow let go.

"S-Since when were you thinking of me as more than a friend?" Was it when they were kids? Was it a year ago? Was it just yesterday? Orihime twiddled her thumbs as she clenched onto her apron. Ichigo looked up, afraid to ask what was on his mind. "Was it that night four years ago?"

On a cold winter night four years ago, Ichigo and Orihime were in need of company to take away the loneliness they suffered. They turned to each other, and by mistake, they spent the night together. Since that incident, Orihime was never able to forget. The way Ichigo made her feel when he touched her, when he kissed her, when he whispered into her ear... it was hard to let go after he made her feel so... loved. Orihime couldn't find the strength to answer, so she nodded, guilty. "I'm sorry," she whispered, apologizing as though she never intended to fall for him but it somehow it happened anyway.

Ichigo shook his head, "You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who's sorry." He felt it was his fault that she was so miserable. "I can't return your feelings."

Orihime nodded, "I know that. Well," she sighed, looking at the clock, "my shift is over. I'm going to speak with Kenji, so..."

"Inoue..." Ichigo struggled to say the right words, "Thank you for being kind to me after all this time," he finally said, feeling that it was all he could say with honesty. "I'll see you around?"

Orihime was surprised, but glad that Ichigo didn't hate her for developing feelings for him. "Yeah," she nodded bubbly. "Bye-" The two heard a faint scream coming from outside - it was Kenji wailing. They looked at each other, "Do you think Kenji-san is hurt?" Orihime asked, dropping her spatula on the floor.

Ichigo leaned back, shrugging. "I could really care less-" Another scream was heard. Ichigo sighed, going to see what the fuss was all about. Orihime followed closely behind. "What are you screaming about?" Ichigo asked, seeing Kenji kneeling on the floor, holding his gut in pain. The customers all whispered to one another.

"D-D-Devil!" Kenji pointed to a certain person.

Ichigo bent his neck, looking at where Kenji was pointing at. "We meet again, asshole."

Ichigo glared, seeing the thug from the yesterday. The man smiled menacingly while eating at the front table. There was no doubt he wasn't going to pay. "You two know each other?" Kenji asked, furious. Of course, seeing his missing tooth and bloody mouth, it was obvious that he just got whooped badly.

"You must've thought I really meant it when I told you to suck my dick. Sorry, but the offer isn't on the table anymore," Ichigo said, snickering a little when the blue-haired man spat on the ground, annoyed. Just like Ichigo, the man wasn't looking too hot either. He had cuts on his face and bruising on his jaw; anyone could see that the two men recently had a showdown. "Did you come back to have my fist in your face again?"

"Tch. I came back to fuck you up. Where's your little girlfriend?" The man smirked.

Ichigo became serious. "She's none of your concern."

"Well if you don't want me paying a visit to her, you better make sure to kill me this time."

"I will."

They pushed their foreheads against each other, glowering and snarling at each other. Suddenly, there was a tune in the air. The barbarian man cursed, turning around and pulling his cell phone. "What the fuck?" he shouted into his phone. Clearly, he was speaking to someone important because after five seconds on the phone, he began to speak politely, if that was even possible. After hanging up, he turned around, looking at his phone like it was a parasite. "Dumb shitstain," he uttered. "You. Shit-tard," he referred to Ichigo, "come with me."

Ichigo just couldn't figure out this man. "Why should I?"

"Because my boss has a job for you," the man uttered grudgingly. It was clear that he was didn't agree with whatever his boss wanted to do.

"I already have a job-"

"Ichigo!" Kenji shouted, grabbing his shoulder. "To think you'd hang out with gangsters like this..." Kenji cowered, whimpering when the man shot him a deadly look. "Get out; you're fired!"

Ichigo was dumbfounded. He felt a tap on his back, "Guess you're unemployed," the man laughed.

Ichigo just couldn't believe how swell his day was going. "What's your name? You'd best tell me, otherwise I'm referring to you as shit-tard #2," Ichigo said, returning the malicious look.

The man's grin grew ear to ear. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

* * *

**A/N: **That is the most cussing I've ever written in a chapter. Thank you Grimmjow, for being so fucking badass t-_-t

Oh yeah, and I named the rabbit after Kon, because well... It'd be nice to have a Kon in this story, and I was not feeling creative to make up a name.

Oh, and if you didn't catch it, yes, the one Ichigo lost his v-card to was Orihime :) Does that make you mad? Huh? _Huh_? _**Huh**_- *is shot.

**Grimmjow: **You better review, you shit-tards! _(please don't be offended hehe)_


	10. Lies

"**Lies"**

* * *

**2 Weeks Later**

"Now this," Ichigo looked around, "is what I'm talking about!" Ichigo beamed. He could see the neighborhood park from the clean window, the walls had not a single hole in them, the floor was so shiny that he could see his reflection, and best of all... there were no roaches! Now he didn't have to spend nights playing DDR in the kitchen to step on them. "Thank you for finally allowing us to move to a new place," Ichigo sighed, collapsing onto the leather couch.

"Yeah yeah," Rukia set the lamp on the table. The living room was much brighter than the one from the last apartment. The electricity was working fine and the water was running. "I had to use the last amount of money I had just to pay for this month's rent," Rukia said, sitting beside Ichigo. Kon was set free from his cage; he ran around the place, exploring his new surroundings, though he didn't like the wooden floor too much. "And since we're both unemployed... we're going to need to find jobs, fast."

Ichigo rested his head on Rukia's lap, looking up at her. "We'll worry about that later." Truthfully, he did _not _want to talk about a job right now. A while back, Grimmjow had claimed that his boss had a job for Ichigo. Ichigo was quick to reject the offer, as it seemed a little shady. He didn't even know what the job would be. Ever since that, he never met that pugnacious guy again. However, he did give his contact information to Ichigo in case Ichigo changed his mind.

"Good, because I didn't want to think about it either," Rukia admitted. Rukia was still hiding the fact that she too was offered a job from Ukitake, her brother's co-worker. Getting a job at the Gotei 13 was everyone's dream job, even if the job was being a janitor! However, Rukia couldn't see herself working there, not with her brother around at least. He was always so anal about everything that everyone was terrified of him, even Rukia. Plus, if Byakuya were to find out about Rukia's situation and her relationship with Ichigo... they'd be separated.

"Is it dusty in here? You've got a bit of a tear in your eye," Ichigo noted, completely oblivious to the reason why she was upset. He reached up, wiping away a teardrop.

A smile tugged at Rukia's lips, "Hey, your father is a doctor, right?" she asked. Ichigo nodded. "Why don't you follow his footsteps?"

"Rukia. These hands," he lifted up his rough and battered hands, "are not meant for doing surgeries. People wouldn't be coming to my hospital to be saved; they'd be coming to _die_."

Rukia ran her finger through Ichigo's hair, tugging at it. Ichigo purred, nuzzling against her. "What are you, a cat?" she asked.

Ichigo grabbed Rukia's petite hands, pressing them against his warm cheek. He adored everything about her. Her gentle gaze, her thin lips, her soft skin, her short hair... he loved it all. Thinking about it now, he didn't understand why he had her undergo a makeover to get Renji to like her back then. She was perfect the way she was. "Rukia..?" He sat up, crawling towards her. The way he said her name with lust made the hair on Rukia's neck stand up.

Slowly, he pushed Rukia onto her back so that she lay on the couch. Usually at this point, Rukia would be searching for the nearest exit, but today, she was surprisingly obeying him. Rukia held her breath, trying to not make any strange noises while his hands roamed her body. "Ichigo," she warned, grabbing his hands and stopping him.

Ichigo began to unbutton her blouse, "I said you had to trust me, didn't I?" Rukia threw her head back, feeling him nip at her neck and to her collarbone, planting gentle trails of kisses.

"This is... embarrassing," Rukia bit her tongue, letting out small whimpers as she felt ticklish from his touches. "It's early in the morning; we shouldn't do-...!" Rukia instinctively arched her back, feeling Ichigo run his fingertips along her sides and to her hips. He skillfully took off her blouse with ease; all that was left was her bra and her shorts.

"Laced undergarments?" Ichigo smirked against her neck. He leaned over, whispering into her ear, "Were you expecting this? Is that why you got dressed for me?" He flicked his tongue across her earlobe, causing her to nearly faint.

Rukia brought her hands to her face, biting her finger while trying to muffle a moan. The last thing she wanted to do was increase his ego. "Ichigo... I..."

Suddenly, she felt a sudden shake. "_... ia... Ruk... _Rukia!"

Rukia jolted awake, seeing her new surroundings. She was sprawled on the ground beside Kon in their new apartment, but she wasn't half naked. "A dream?" she asked herself. Ichigo stood above her, eyeballing her strangely.

"You kept saying my name," Ichigo grew flustered, "looked like you were having a nice dream."

Rukia blinked, suddenly gasping. She was having a wet dream... for the third time this week!? This is it... it was the end of the world. How could she, the one who had been rejecting Ichigo's advances, be dreaming about him violating her? Did she secretly want it? She touched her neck, still able to feel the faint kisses from Ichigo, even though it was a dream. She felt hot all over. She threw her arm over her chest, trying to hide every single spot of skin that was available for Ichigo to see. She was so disgusted with herself. It was a sin to think of such things!

"Are you... okay? You're acting strange," Ichigo reached out, feeling her forehead. Rukia couldn't stop the blush that was creeping up on her. She dazed, tracing her eyes over his face and body. Something about him was different today. His hair was a tad longer and his eyes looked a bit more mature. His neck was long and beautifully smooth; she wondered how he looked beneath his shirt. She felt his chest a few times in the past; it was hard as rock. There was one thing for sure - Ichigo probably had a six pack and a toned chest that was ready and waiting for her to kiss all over it.

No, there was nothing different about Ichigo. This was how he was all along. The only thing that changed was Rukia's perspective of him. From the beginning, she only saw him as a boy who fooled around with women. Now... he was a man. To describe Ichigo in one precise word... Rukia would say that he was _sexy_. Rukia panicked. That feeling was in her chest again - the feeling she got after she gave Ichigo that handjob a while back.

"Huh, you're sweating," Ichigo pushed his face closer to hers, closing the distance between them. "Could you be sick again-"

"I gotta go run to the store," Rukia stood up, wobbling as her legs felt like noodles. Only Ichigo could make her feel so helpless.

* * *

**Next Day**

"Rukia... we're hungry," Ichigo moaned, dying on the floor beside Kon, who was also twitching from hunger. "If only that idiot Grimmjow hadn't showed up at my workplace, we wouldn't be in this situation!" he uttered low enough so that Rukia couldn't hear. Kon squeaked, nibbling on Ichigo's shirt. "You dare eat me?" Ichigo sneered. "I'll have _you _for dinner, you rat!"

Meanwhile, Rukia was rummaging through their empty fridge. "The only edible thing we have is celery-... Ichigo," Rukia furrowed her brows at the sight of Ichigo who just about to bite into Kon. Kon trembled, wide-eyed and terrified. Ichigo laughed, tossing Kon to the side who then bounced out of sight.

"Would you rather I go fetch dinner in the trash can?" Ichigo asked. Rukia didn't hesitate to nod. Ichigo looked out the window, watching the clouds roll by. "Spring is coming soon..." Rukia couldn't help but think that the image of Ichigo looking up at the sky was almost like a portrait. It was a peaceful scene; she could look at it all day without getting bored. "Who's calling you?" Ichigo asked, hearing Rukia's ringtone in the air.

Rukia reached into her pocket, seeing a familiar phone number. It was Ukitake. "I'll be outside," she told before stepping out of their home. "Yes?" she answered.

"_You called me earlier?" _Ukitake asked, sounding concerned. He never really expected a call from Rukia at all. She was always the independent person who didn't like to rely on others, very much like her brother Byakuya.

Rukia paused, unsure if it was wise to say what she wanted to. Ukitake did say she could confide in him, but sometimes people just say that out of generosity when they don't really mean it. Well, that didn't really apply to Ukitake; he wasn't like other people. What made Rukia really respect him was because he was always putting others before himself. Rukia looked at the window, seeing Ichigo pressing his nose against it. "Silly..." she laughed.

"_Who, me?" _Ukitake asked.

"Sorry, not you. But about that job offer..."

Ukitake suddenly sounded excited, _"Are you taking it into consideration?" _

Well, Rukia _did _miss going to work. She missed the sound of the printer, the sound of typing on a keyboard, the smell of coffee in the air... Yes, she was a workaholic. Besides, it would be a good idea to start working again, seeing as Ichigo almost ate Kon out of starvation. Plus, with her perverted thoughts about Ichigo lately... Rukia needed a job to take her mind off of it. "I..." Byakuya's cold eyes flashed in her mind. Being around him definitely took courage, which was something Rukia was lacking lately. "When do I work?" she asked.

Ukitake laughed; surely he was smiling on the other side of the phone. _"I'll see you in my office tomorrow morning. You haven't forgotten where our business is?" _

Ha, how could Rukia forget? She looked towards the city, seeing a building that stood higher than any other building around it. One glance at it and anyone could tell it was a business that was not to be messed with. "I haven't forgotten."

With that, they both hung up. Rukia looked back at Ichigo, who was breathing on the glass of the window, fogging it up. With a finger, he wrote on it, spelling out, _'You+I' _with a bunch of hearts surrounding it.

Rukia scoffed at Ichigo. "What an idiot," she uttered. Ichigo couldn't hear her through the glass. "Ichigo, I got a job," she said to him, "but I can't tell you about it, because I'm afraid that if my brother found out about us, only bad things would happen in the future."

Ichigo frowned, wondering what Rukia was saying. The only thing he knew though, was that it looked like there was a thorn in her heart.

* * *

**1 Week Later**

"Going to work again?" Ichigo yawned, startling Rukia who was getting dressed early in the morning. She wore warm casual clothing. Ichigo looked at the clock, seeing that it was five in the morning. He groaned, pushing his face back into the couch cushions. "You leave early and you come home late... what kind of job do you have?" Ichigo was irritated with it all.

"I told you, I'm working at the..." Rukia cringed, hating to lie to him, "Supermarket," she finally said. Since last week, Rukia had been leaving early to the Gotei 13. When she got there, she'd change into her business attire and straighten out for the day there. At night, she'd change back into her normal clothing and come back home so that Ichigo wouldn't suspect her. It was all tiring, indeed.

"You're only getting paid minimum wage for working this hard? What BS," Ichigo moaned, still half-asleep.

Rukia sighed, glad because it seemed he wasn't suspicious of anything. She grabbed his blanket that fell on the ground, draping it over his slender body. "Make sure to feed Kon later," she whispered before heading towards the door.

"Make sure to feed on him later? Yeah, got it," Ichigo murmured into his pillow, completely twisting her words around. Ichigo hated that little bastard Kon. Just thinking about the fat fluffball made his blood boil; Kon was able to snuggle close to Rukia, he was able to sleep beside her, and he was able to feel her fingertips scratching at his scalp... Ichigo squinted his eye with envy. How _pathetic _was he that he was losing to a rabbit? Ichigo sighed, "I need a job."

The last thing Ichigo wanted was to let Rukia be the one to put dinner on the table. Getting a job was the only way he'd be able to redeem himself and make his value higher than that Kon. Still... Ichigo had been job hunting for the last two weeks with no luck. People were either not hiring or were terrified of Ichigo's constant frowning face.

Ichigo reached beneath his pillow, pulling out the business card that Grimmjow gave him a while back. Did he dare turn to him and his boss for help? Grimmjow was a sadistic man; Ichigo doubted Grimmjow would be unemployed. Someone like him would be fired off the bat. If anything, Ichigo would assume that Grimmjow's boss was a yakuza, or perhaps some sort of mafia. Ichigo hated being entangled in dirty business.

Well... it wouldn't hurt to check it out, right? If Ichigo didn't like it, he'd back out. It's not like he was going to sign his life away by making a phone call. "Quit being such a sissy, Ichigo," he whispered to himself before dialing the number on the card onto his cell phone. Placing the phone to his ear, Ichigo heard two brief rings before someone picked up-

"_Hi, thank you for calling to the Hueco Mundo business. How may I help you?" _answered a woman.

Ichigo's first reaction was, what the heck? What kind of idiot business was called Hueco Mundo? It didn't sound all too pleasant at all. "Nevermind, I think dialed the wrong phone number-"

From the other side, Ichigo heard a loud crash accompanied by a loud yell, _"Ha! That shit-tard called!" _Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose. There was no doubt who that was. _"I knew you'd come begging at our doors like the little bitch you are, Ichigo!"_

Little _bitch_? Ichigo would admit, he had a lot of nicknames in the past, but Grimmjow had some interesting ones that never failed to amuse him. Well, maybe it was because his old nicknames were given to him from his lady clients. "What kind of business is Hueco Mundo anyway?" Ichigo asked bluntly. The last thing he wanted to do was have a whole hour-long conversation with Grimmjow, most of which would just consist of them barking at each other.

"_Curious to find out? Come to this address." _Grimmjow tipped Ichigo with the information and after that he hung up.

Did Ichigo dare to go look? The phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' was made for a reason. "What the hell," Ichigo grabbed his coat, "if I don't go, he'll just call me a coward." And if it wasn't something he liked, he could just look at it from a distance and walk away like it never happened, he figured. There was no harm to that.

* * *

**A/N: **Can you guess what the mystery job Grimmjow offered to Ichigo is? ;)


	11. Cheater

**"Cheater"**

"Here are the files," Rukia said politely, setting down a manilla folder that contained important information on the next meeting. She brushed her skirt, feeling the smooth fabric on her fingers. It'd been such a long time since she wore a business suit. Rukia felt like a different woman in the dark clothing; she felt like a liar.

Ukitake gave a charming grin, thanking her. A grimace then replaced his jolly expression, "Is something bothering you?" Lately, it was becoming hard for him to read Rukia's thoughts. Ukitake was always observing his peers, knowing what they were thinking about and such.

Rukia shook her head, not wanting to mope about her secret double life. Even though it wasn't too obvious, she honestly did care for Ichigo. He was on the _very _short list of people who Rukia cared about in life. When she'd lie to him about her work and fake a smile, she always cringed and feel like trash afterwards.

Ukitake didn't want to seem like a nosy man, so he dismissed the conversation. "I'm sorry that you're working here as my secretary, Kuchiki-san. I wish I could give you a better position."

"Don't be. Just being here is an honor."

Rukia had her own office space that was quite big actually. She had her own desk, and even though it didn't compare to Ukitake's fancy oak desk, it was quite nice. As expected of the Gotei 13, the building was enormous and seemed similar to a palace from overseas. The windows were large and showed great scenery of the ocean and the other city buildings. At night, if she stood from the highest floor, she could look down and see the city lights blinking like fireworks.

"You've been working here for about half a month now... Have you met your brother?" Ukitake asked. Anyone looking at Rukia and Byakuya's relationship could tell that there was no friendly sibling love between them. They were a tense and awkward family.

"I haven't."

The building was so big and all the 'leaders' of the Gotei 13's offices were far apart from each other. It was like they each owned a separate part of the huge building. It was no surprise why Rukia haven't met Byakuya. Rukia was glad though. She wouldn't know what to say to him after so long.

"I see."

Rukia left the room, closing the door behind her. "Rukia-san~" She heard a girly voice sing out her name. Rangiku Matsumoto was the assistant to one of the Gotei leaders - Toshiro Hitsugaya, the youngest one of the bunch, a prodigy they say. Rangiku was very much similar to Orihime, Rukia thought. They were orange-haired, beautiful, and had huge chests. Not that Rukia was checking them out, it was just obvious.

Rukia greeted with the same enthusiasm, "Good morning Rangiku-san."

"So, it's been a while since we last met, hasn't it? Tonight, the ladies and I are going to a mixer party," she winked, "and I thought it'd be a great idea to invite you too. How 'bout it?"

Rukia stared blankly. A _mixer _party? Did Rangiku mean an event where they would go meet with creepy strange men for the opportunity of finding a possible mate? Rukia, like the professional person she was, turned down Rangiku's invitation politely. "Thank you, but maybe next time," she smiled afterwards. Truthfully, she hated mixer parties. They were awkward and dangerous. What if a guy tried to spike her drink?

"Oh come on," Rangiku pushed Rukia's shoulder playfully, "it'll be fun! Besides, you'll need a date for the Gotei 13's party that's coming up." Rukia cringed, remembering how close the date for that was. For some stupid reason, someone felt it was a good idea to create cocktail parties as a way to associate with others and to impress important people. To hell with that; Rukia didn't care! Still, being part of the Kuchiki family had its benefits and curses as well.

"You mean an escort? I'm fine without one," Rukia stated simply. She didn't need a man to impress people.

Suddenly, a sly look came onto Rangiku's face. Her lips pouted as she gawked at Rukia. She smiled immaturely, leaning forward and whispering, "Or is it because you have a boyfriend?" Rukia wanted to die on the spot for being unable to maintain her poker face. "So it is true?" Rangiku asked, so eager to know more that she couldn't stay still.

"Please keep it a secret. If my brother found out..." Rukia's voice faded. She didn't want to imagine what Byakuya would do.

Rangiku simmered down. Her eyes glistened with pity for the poor girl. She pressed her cupped hands against her bosoms, "Oh, forbidden love," she held the back of her hand against her forehead dramatically, "how romantic yet unfortunate. I won't tell a soul," she promised, crossing her heart.

Rukia smiled wearily, "Thanks."

Rangiku laughed half-heartedly, "So... you're into bad boys eh?" She smirked.

"Wh-What makes you say that?"

"Well the only reason why you're keeping him a secret from Byakuya is because he's not from a noble family, right? Or is it because he's a convicted murderer? Did you meet him by penpal?" Every time Rangiku asked a question, her eyes became wider and wider.

"I can't say why because it's a personal issue but... he's a good person." Rukia recalled the first time she met Ichigo. She never thought she'd be complimenting him like this at their first meeting.

Rangiku sighed in envy, "It must be nice to be in love... So does that mean you've been hiding your boyfriend in your closet the entire time?" Rukia shrugged. The way she put it was quite strange, but it was somewhat true. "No way!" Rangiku gasped, startling Rukia. Was something wrong about it? "And he's okay with you not claiming him?"

"Yeah."

"No Rukia! That's what he wants you to think," Rangiku bonked Rukia's head, trying to smack some sense into the girl. "Inside, he's probably itching to find another woman..."

Rukia was puzzled. Find another woman? What did Rangiku mean by that?

"If I were a man and I truly loved you, I'd want to be bragged about all the time. But if my woman keeps me a secret from the world, I'd think she was ashamed of me. My god, you might as well kick him in the dirt while he's down!"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Rukia asked, desperate for answers. Would Ichigo really feel like that? The only reason why she was hiding him from the world was because she was afraid Byakuya would come and separate them, to which Ichigo still doesn't know about.

Rangiku nodded furiously. "Do you at least... y'know, have sex?" The way Rukia's face lit up in embarrassment and the way her eyes trembled was definitely a 'no' answer. Rangiku facepalmed, having no hope for Rukia's love life. "Pull yourself together; you need to make this work!" She grabbed Rukia's shoulders, shaking her violently.

Their coworkers who passed by stared at them, wondering if they should call security to notify them that a crazy woman was killing another girl.

"You don't even know how much time you may have left with him before Byakuya finds out or before the guy cheats! Make every second count. Take the time to appreciate what you got and wrap him around your fingers so he'll never be able to leave!"

Rukia felt faint with the overwhelming advice. It was too much for her to handle. Cheating and little time left? Rukia could feel the very last ounce of her spirit leaving her body. It felt like she had just discovered that she had a terminal illness.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

"Mama, who's that strange looking man?" asked a little boy, innocently pointing at a man in a ski mask, black hoodie, and some shades. The boys mom hushed him, grabbing his hand and leading him away from the 'strange looking man.'

Ichigo growled, yanking his sunglasses off. "This is one of the stupidest thing I've _ever _done," he cursed, feeling dumb. Ichigo was roaming around the secluded area of a nearby place. There were convenient stores nearby the address Grimmjow gave him, but Ichigo looked up at the place of Hueco Mundo... It seemed abandoned. For some reason, it seemed to ward of people; no one lurked around the area except Ichigo right now.

It was late in the afternoon now. Ichigo had been staking out the place for about two hours, still debating whether it was safe to go in or not. What if Grimmjow was hiding out in the place with a gang, ready to pounce on Ichigo? The last thing he wanted was for Rukia to worry. Still, Ichigo needed a job, quick. No one wanted to hire him because every place knew him as the notorious prostitute. Yeah, Ichigo was well known around the area.

"Whatcha hangin' around like a creeper fer?"

Ichigo whizzed around, seeing a thin stomach. He looked up, staggering backwards as he saw a 7 foot man. Ichigo rubbed his eyes, unsure if what he was seeing was real. He was so strange looking. The man had long hair and an eyepatch on his left eye. He was unbelievably lean and tall, but what was most striking about him was his sinister grin and wild eyes. He wore a casual clothing accompanied with a long coat that reached his knees.

"Or could it be you're that fella that dumbass was ranting about?" The man eyed Ichigo with interest. His slithering voice was insanely creepy; it matched his appearance well.

"By dumbass, you mean Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked. Everyone thought Grimmjow was a dumbass.

The man snickered, throwing his head back. "Thank you for defecting his face the other time. Because of you, I received a few more customers than he did. Oh, excuse me, I'm Nnoitra." Despite his thanks, he still sounded obnoxious and rude. Seeing Nnoitra made Ichigo really hesitant now on checking out Hueco Mundo.

"What do you mean... _customers_?" Ichigo asked, squinting his eye.

Nnoitra cracked an even bigger smile; his smile had no limits. Gesturing with a finger, he told Ichigo to follow him. Ichigo panicked. Was it wise to trust such a strange person? Ichigo was a fast runner, he could probably try making an escape, but looking at Nnoitra's legs... Ichigo probably was at a disadvantage this time.

Ichigo followed behind the man. There was no way he was going to turn his back to Nnoitra. With the way he was grinning and cackling, Ichigo found it hard to trust him. They both walked into the 'abandoned' building that Ichigo was spying on earlier. It was plain and dull, nothing special looking to it, and that was why Ichigo was even more suspicious of it. What if Hueco Mundo was a an underground fighting place? No police would suspect this building - it was the perfect hideout.

"What's the matter? Nervous?" Nnoitra teased, liking the anxiety that was eating away at Ichigo.

The entrance hall to the main room of Hueco Mundo was small and pitch black. Ichigo was counting up the seconds until he'd feel a blunt object hit his head - surely this was a planned attack? Then Ichigo heard a click. It was the sound of Nnoitra opening a door. As he pushed it open, a light was revealed, colorful lights that shown in all colors-

"Ayyy faggot! I thought you weren't gonna show up," Grimmjow shouted after he jumped out at them, the first one to greet them. Yes, Grimmjow was always yelling at Ichigo, but right now he really didn't have a choice. Why? Because loud music was booming all over the place and bouncing off the walls.

Ichigo was confused as hell.

Ichigo looked up at the ceiling, seeing a disco ball that shone the lights in all directions. The place was actually bigger than he thought and it was in no way shape or form, abandoned. There were large tables that lined along the wall that were stacked with glasses and champagne. From one wall of the room, there was a large bar that had all sorts of beverages. "Tone the friggin' music down will ya bitches!?" Nnoitra shouted at the DJ's.

The DJ's were two petite girls, one blonde and the other dark haired. "Sh-Shut up Nnoitra!" said the dark haired one. "And remember our names - Menoly and Loly - unless you're too dense to remember!" she cursed, then hid from sight, obviously afraid of the slender man.

"Tch, that wench," Nnoitra spat.

"Can someone explain to me what the hell all this is? A bar or something? Your boss wants me to work as a waiter?" Ichigo asked, frustrated with the stalling.

"Not a waiter, moron," Grimmjow mocked. "It may not be obvious now, but when nighttime comes, then shit gets real." Grimmjow smirked, cocking his head to one side.

"Who's your boss?" Ichigo asked.

"He's currently away, but you need not be concerned with that," Nnoitra smiled, sticking out his tongue. "Our boss said you used to be a prostitute... if what he says is true, this job shouldn't be a problem for you. In fact, you might enjoy it."

Ichigo glared. How did their boss know? "That's all I needed to know." Ichigo turned around, ready to leave. He came to check out Hueco Mundo. Did he like what he saw? Not one bit. Rukia was working hard, so there was no way Ichigo was going to take the easy way out by returning to his old profession.

"This aint prostitution, unless you want it to be," Nnoitra said, stopping Ichigo. He smirked, "This is a host club."

Ichigo turned around, raising a brow. "Host club?"

Grimmjow nodded, "We get paid to drink and meet girls every night. It's every man's dream, eh? What more could you ask for?"

Ichigo took one more look around the room. Now that he thought about it, it was a host club. "Not interested," Ichigo muttered, barely considering the offer. Rukia would castrate him before he could ever work as a host. Besides, he got over degrading himself.

"Daaamn," Grimmjow ran his fingers through his hair, looking at Ichigo with surprise as he tried to figure him out. "Are you gay?" he asked. Of course, that _had _to be the reason why Ichigo would reject the best offer in the entire world. It explained everything.

Ichigo scoffed, "What are you looking at me like that for? I have a girlfriend already."

Grimmjow and Nnoitra looked at eachother, then bursted out laughing in madness. They slapped their knees and howled like wolves, "How cute," Nnoitra commented, getting on Ichigo's last nerves. "She must be really top quality for a man to say no to working at Hueco Mundo."

Grimmjow then punched Nnoitra's arm, "Oh man! I met her, and trust me, she's no princess. More like a farm worker-" Grimmjow whimpered, falling to his rear end as Ichigo kicked him in the gut so hard that Grimmjow nearly threw up his last meal.

Ichigo grabbed a nearby glass bottle, smashing it against the wall so that the bottle was tipped with sharp edges. Grimmjow tilted his head back, feeling the glass grazing his neck as Ichigo pushed it against him. Nnoitra only grinned, eager to see a fight break out. Meanwhile, Menoly and Loly were screaming, running to the back of the room. "Say that again. I _dare _you," Ichigo said calmly, though his words were still able to incite fear in Grimmjow.

Grimmjow panicked for a brief second. He was surprised after feeling sweat build up on his forehead. He was scared? Grimmjow cracked a smile, hiding the pathetic feeling he was experiencing.

"That's what I thought." Ichigo backed away, tossing his weapon aside.

* * *

**A/N: **Please **review**! Thanks for reading :)


	12. Love

"**Love"**

"Ichigo?" Rukia whispered, poking her head through the ajarred door. She peeked into the dark living room of their new apartment, seeing nothing as the lights were off. She turned on the lights, stepping into the place and searching for two orange-heads. "Kon?" she called, receiving nothing but eerie silence in return.

Rukia was now back into her casual clothing; changing clothes at work and home was part of her double life. "Oh, you're back," Ichigo stepped out of the shadows with a toothbrush while cradling Kon in his arm.

Rukia's breath ran short as she nearly jumped out of her skin at Ichigo's creepy appearance. "Jeez... turn on the lights would you? I thought we got robbed for a second."

"I'm just trying to save electricity here," Ichigo said. "I bought some takeout food. I already ate, and don't worry, Connie here already ate too." Kon looked up at Ichigo. Ichigo frowned, wondering if the rabbit had just glared at him. Nah, couldn't be. Animals can't glare.

Rukia laughed softly, "Thank you, Ichigo."

Ichigo fixed his eyes on Rukia. "What for?"

"The food, of course."

"No, no no." Ichigo shook his finger, "One doesn't thank someone so sincerely just for food. You worry me," he stared at her suspiciously.

Rukia brushed past him and took a seat at the dinner table, preparing a plate for herself. "I can't be thankful?" she asked. Why was she being so nice to him? Maybe it was a result of the conversation she had with Rangiku earlier. Rukia wanted to treat every second with Ichigo as though it were the last... Rukia sighed, feeling depressed. She felt bitter thinking about a last moment with Ichigo.

Ichigo sat in front of her while Kon pranced around the room. "How was work today?"

Rukia paused for a brief second, "Fine," was all she said, desperately trying to avoid a conversation about her job. The guilt was burning in her chest every time she looked at Ichigo. He was so kind to her and yet she had the audacity to lie to him and treat him like a fool.

Ichigo immediately noticed the distance Rukia was putting between them both. She ate quietly and never dared to look into his eyes. "Did something happen today?" Ichigo asked, or more like interrogated. Various scenarios ran through his mind. Was she harassed? Did she get fired? Or perhaps she was just having a rough day? "And don't think about lying your way out of this conversation."

Rukia shuddered, feeling pressured with Ichigo's attention on her. Her eyes met with his piercing ones; she felt breathless. She definitely didn't want Ichigo to think that she was ashamed of having him as her boyfriend, and to make sure he didn't feel that way, she had to be honest. "You know how I'm sort of a... wallflower?" Ichigo nodded without hesitance. Rukia laughed lightly at his bluntness. "Do you sometimes wish you were with someone who wasn't one?"

"What?" Ichigo blurted out. "Are you breaking up with me or is this what you're stressing out about?" Ichigo asked, giving a threatening look that said it had better not be a break up.

"I'm not breaking up with you, but I want to know if it's what you want."

Ichigo looked at Rukia as though she had just said the dumbest thing in the world. "What the hell made you think I'd want that?" Ichigo asked, his voice cracking a little from irritation. He thought their relationship was working just fine, but all of a sudden Rukia is doubting his feelings for her? Ichigo couldn't handle his anxiety anymore.

"Because I haven't given everything of me to you," Rukia shyly said, "and I've been keeping our relationship a secret."

Ichigo frowned, "A secret? From who?" His voice sounded a little angry and a bit confused; Rukia began to wonder whether if she had made a mistake in confessing to him. "Ah... I get it. It's because I was a whore right-"

"Stop jumping to conclusions," Rukia cried, slamming her hands onto the table. "I haven't been telling you the whole truth. I am working, but not at the supermarket. I'm working as a secretary for the Gotei 13 company, where my brother also works at. It's because of that that I've been keeping my relationship with you a secret, understand?"

"Why would you need to keep it a secret from Byakuya?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia facepalmed. Did she really have to explain why? "My brother was raised in a noble family; if he found out that I was dating someone who wasn't from a noble family as well... it would be the end of us."

Ichigo mouthed a silent '_oh_,' finally understanding Rukia. "So you were trying to protect us..." Ichigo smiled to himself, getting sidetracked. Knowing that Rukia wanted to attempt a relationship with him made him happy. "Geez, if that was the case, you didn't have to lie about it. Stop giving me heart attacks for no reason," Ichigo sighed in relief.

"So you're not thinking about... _cheating _on me then?"

Ichigo blinked a few times, expressionless. "Huh?" he gaped.

Rukia turned red, feeling like she misspoke again. "Nothing, nevermind."

"You know," Ichigo closed his eyes, "forget explaining myself. Why don't I just show you?" Ichigo sauntered towards her. He stood behind her, leaning forward and placing both his hands on her her shoulders; Rukia tensed beneath his touch. "You said it yourself that you haven't given all of yourself to me..." Ichigo whispered into her ear. "Shall we change that?"

Rukia raised her brows before feeling Ichigo plant light kisses at the nape of her neck, "I-Ichigo," she turned around abruptly, brushing her nose against his. Without warning, he stole a kiss from her.

"Your brother could discover us today or tomorrow... shouldn't we make this worthwhile?" Ichigo smirked against her neck. Rukia glared at his threat. Of course Ichigo didn't believe they'd be separated, but scaring her into giving herself up to him was the only solution he could think of. "I'll be gentle," he coaxed.

Rukia could feel herself heating up from Ichigo's touches; she hated how sensitive she was. "I-I have work tomorrow-"

"I won't leave any marks. Besides, could you wait until the weekend?" Ichigo smiled, pleased with her surprised reaction. "Did you think I wouldn't notice? You're becoming conscious of me," he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "You want it too, don't you?" he spoke like the devil, whispering sweet words into her ear.

"Tch," Rukia pushed herself back, distancing herself from Ichigo, "h-horndog," she muttered.

"Alright, since you're too prideful to admit what you want, then I'll stop teasing you and..." Ichigo placed his face in front of Rukia, trapping her so she had nowhere to run, "carry on." Ichigo's breath tickled against Rukia's skin. Rukia could already hear the beating in her chest. She leaned her head back, exposing her neck to him. His warm kisses ran along her collarbone, going down her sternum. "Shall we do this on the bed? Or would this table suffice?"

Rukia reddened, hating how Ichigo would ask her such questions. She barely had the strength to think right anymore. "B-Bed," she squeaked, wanting to hide from his gaze.

Ichigo lifted Rukia up effortlessly. Her legs wrapped around his hips while her arms were around his neck. "You're submitting to me... you won't run away halfway, right?" He set her on the mattress, climbing on top of her. Rukia faltered. Already, she was feeling nervous, but she did want this. She wanted to give him all of her.

"I won't, I think."

"Hn," Ichigo moved a strand of Rukia's hair behind her ear, admiring her different kind of beauty. "Then I won't stop."

They kissed passionately while undressing each other. Ichigo pulled Rukia's shirt off and Rukia unbuttoned his shirt. Her fingertips traced the outline of his chest, feeling every inch of his toned muscles. Ichigo reached beneath Rukia with one hand, finding the clasp of her bra and unhooking it with ease. Instinctively, Rukia covered her chest with her arms. "S-Sorry," she apologized dumbly.

"I'll be the first man to see you naked?" Ichigo asked, panting slightly. Rukia pursed her lips, bashful. "I'm glad." Ichigo pulled away the undergarment, revealing her small breasts. Ichigo licked his lips at the sight, lowering his head and placing his lips on her soft flesh. His large hand fondled her left breast while he ran his tongue along her other. Rukia gasped, arching her back. "Touch me too," he pleaded.

Rukia recalled last time when she gave Ichigo a handjob. Hesitantly, she reached down, struggling to unbuckle his belt. Her hands were shaking but she finally managed to pull down his jeans. Already, she could see the erection between his long legs. Ichigo pulled back, leaning back while propping himself up with his elbows. Rukia kneeled between his legs. Slowly, she pulled off his boxers, revealing Ichigo's manhood.

"Rukia..." Ichigo said in a yearning voice. Rukia thought that since she'd already done this once, it'd be easier the second time. It wasn't at all. It was nerve wracking still. Taking a deep breath, Rukia grabbed his cock in her hand, stroking him. Ichigo let out a grunt; he threw his head back at her touches.

Seeing Ichigo's reaction pleased Rukia. She moved a little faster; Ichigo winced. His manhood grew harder and bigger with every motion she made. As Ichigo was just about to come, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Can't get... too carried away," Ichigo snickered, pushing her down. Before Rukia realized it, he had pulled off her panties; she was all nude. Ichigo smiled slyly, licking two fingers before reaching down.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Rukia asked, looking like a deer in headlights.

"Prepping you," were Ichigo's words before he inserted a finger into her. Rukia's eyes widened, feeling him inside her. She grabbed his shoulders, clutching onto him tightly. "Relax," he told, nuzzling his nose against hers. Rukia felt her stomach tighten when he put in two fingers. "You're wet," he smirked. Rukia closed her eyes while clenching her teeth. "Enough with the foreplay; shall we begin the real stuff?"

Rukia breathed heavily, feeling Ichigo spread her legs further apart. "Ichigo..."

Ichigo pulled out a condom wrapper, opening it and putting on the condom. He straddled her hips, placing his hands on either side of her head. "I'm not going to lie, the first time will hurt for you. Are you sure you still want to do this?" he asked, holding her cheek with one hand.

Rukia grabbed his hand, "Are you... kidding me? We already went this far, might as well finish it," she reassured him with a half-smile.

Ichigo kissed her one last time before pushing against her. Rukia let out a breath, feeling the tip of his manhood at her entrance. As Ichigo entered her, she could feel a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. "Are you okay?" he asked, feeling a little dumb. In the past, he never cared for who he slept with. This was the first time he was sincere; he was unsure how to comfort her.

"I'm... fine," Rukia said, though it was partially a lie.

When Ichigo was completely inside her, he began to slowly thrust. Rukia grimaced, wincing. Ichigo ran his hands down her waist, caressing her. Rukia's arms reached out, wrapping around his torso. Her fingers gripped tightly onto his back, her nails digging into his smooth skin.

Eventually, the pain began to subdue and she could feel a tingly sensation running down her leg. Her chest began to heave as she became short of breath. Her skin was hot all over, covered in both her and Ichigo's sweat. His chest pressed against hers. His pace quickened and soon he was ramming into her hard.

Rukia let out soft moans, feeling Ichigo inside her. "Rukia..." Ichigo panted out, kissing her lips. The pleasure in both of them began to build. Ichigo sat up, pulling Rukia up and seating her on his manhood. He grabbed her on the hips, pulling her down onto his cock. "I'm coming," he breathed out.

Rukia held tightly onto Ichigo, feeling herself at her climax. With a few more thrusts, Ichigo ejaculated. Rukia rested her head on his shoulder, exhausted.

Ichigo pulled out of her and lay down on his back with Rukia on top him. His hand ran up and down her spine while they both tried to catch their breath. Rukia closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat slowing down. "Rukia... I'm so in love with you."

Rukia looked up, seeing sincerity in his eyes. It was then that she realized that she didn't want to lose him. "Ditto," she grinned.

* * *

**A/N: **Woot, a whole chapter full of LEMON! I'm so sorry for that. I wished there was more to this chapter, but I hadn't updated in a week because I was so busy preparing for the Mayan Doomsday (j/k), so I had to upload this fast. Anyway, let me know what ya'll thought (feedback please!) Did I make this too quick? Was it smoothly written out? Any questions? Concerns? Comments?

Sorry that they're kinda OOC too. Buuuut, yah. Please **review **:)


	13. Blackmail

**"Blackmail"**

"Are you going to work already?" Ichigo mumbled into the pillow. Rukia woke up that morning naked beside him beneath the sheets. When she recalled last night's events, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It was her first time with a man - her first time making love.

Rukia quickly changed into her work clothes. One good thing that came out of telling the truth to Ichigo was that she didn't have to change clothes back and forth anymore. Not having to lie to him anymore made her feel so much more light in the chest ."I'll see you later," she told, putting on her white blazer while fixing her short hair.

Ichigo sat up, still weary. Rukia darted her eyes away from him because he was still nude. Of course, he had a beautiful body that no girl would dare look away from, but her shyness would never allow her to become a complete pervert. "Rukia," Ichigo called to her. He grinned childishly, "I'm glad you're back to normal."

Rukia was a little surprised; her clenched jaw relaxed and she returned the smile. "Me too."

Ichigo ran his hand across the bed, lost in thought. "It's the second time we slept together in the same bed," he noted. Everything was falling into place - nothing could go wrong now. "Kiss me," he asked.

Rukia clutched onto her bag, looking at the clock. "Just a quick one," she said, leaning towards his puckering lips and giving them a fast peck.

Ichigo ran a thumb across his bottom lip, "Always a tease," he shook his head before seeing her off.

* * *

**Break Time**

"Did something good happen? It seems like you're... glowing." Rangiku eyeballed Rukia while they were eating lunch at a nearby fast food place. Rukia cleared her throat before denying it. Rangiku shrugged, "Well, have you decided on who you're bringing to the cocktail party? Or are you going to bring that boyfriend of yours?"

Rukia set down her water, feeling stumped. "I finally told him about me working at Gotei 13 and he didn't have a problem with it... but I don't think I can take him to the party because my brother will be there."

Rangiku sighed, pitying Rukia. "Well, it'd be shameful if you came to the party without a date. You sure you don't want to go to a mixer with me?" She pointed her fork at Rukia.

"I'm fine," Rukia told. Besides, it's not like Ichigo would let her go to one anyway. He'd probably kill Kon and serve the rabbit to her without her knowing just to punish her if she were to go the mixer.

"Why don't you just tell your brother about your relationship? I mean, your boyfriend understood you. Who knows, maybe Byakuya will too-"

"You don't know my brother," Rukia sulked. "I was adopted by him into his family. Because of that, I can't defy him at all; I owe him. My life isn't my own anymore." She burdened the Kuchiki name, and with it came responsibility and expectations she had to meet. Dating Ichigo was considered taboo already.

"If your brother is that kind of man who is strict, then why'd he adopt someone like you? No offense intended," Rangiku said, laughing awkwardly. Rukia shrugged. Even she didn't know why Byakuya decided to take her, an outsider, into the Kuchiki family. "Well, I'll be heading back now. And relax, kiddo," Rangiku winked before leaving.

Rukia sighed, wondering what she should do. Thinking about it, it was a bad idea from the start to start a secret relationship with Ichigo. Of course she didn't regret it, but now she worried how it would work out. What if one day they decided to get married? What would happen? "Ah, what am I doing, thinking ahead into the future?" she laughed, feeling stupid. Not once did she used to think about marriage and family, but thinking about it now... it sounded nice.

Rukia gaited slowly toward her workplace. The distance between the fast food place and the Gotei 13 was quite short. Cars drove through the streets and people walked along the sidewalk to get to their destinations. It was like any other ordinary day, that was... until Rukia felt a tap on her shoulder. "I caught a bunny," spoke the menacing voice.

"What do you want?" Rukia asked, seeing the blue haired man from last time. Rukia sighed in relief, seeing that they were out in public where everyone could see them; he wouldn't dare lay a hand on her.

Grimmjow sneered at her with despise. "I don't get why boss is so desperately trying to get that bastard to work for him when he has _me_ to reel in all the money," Grimmjow cursed beneath his breath.

Rukia was puzzled by what Grimmjow meant. "Lunatic."

""Lu-...!" Grimmjow restrained himself from wringing Rukia's tiny neck. He cracked a twitching smile, "I couldn't help but notice your conversation with that chick earlier," he spoke, reaching out and running a finger beneath Rukia's chin; Rukia smacked him away. "Feisty..."

"It's not polite to eavesdrop," Rukia tapped her foot, waiting for the walk sign to let her cross the street. Was the guy stalking her?

"And it's not polite to lie to others. It seems you're desperately trying to hide a secret from your brother," Grimmjow breathed against her neck, "should I expose the truth to him?"

Rukia raised her hand to him, failing as he grabbed her wrist. "What do you want?"

Grimmjow smirked sadistically, enjoying the fear in Rukia's eyes. He liked dominating others and having power over them; he liked being in control. "Hm, now that I have your attention, what should I make you do?" He towered over her, pulling her towards him. "Maybe I should have you be my personal slave?"

Rukia glared daggers at him.

"Or maybe I should have you sleep with me," Grimmjow laughed, seeing Rukia become pale. "Why not? If you love that damn Kurosaki so much, you should at least try to experience what it's like to prostitute to get a feel of what it's like to be in his shoes."

Rukia's knees shook; she felt like her lungs were being constricted. She was paralyzed, unable to respond.

Grimmjow finally pulled away, "Just kidding." He looked over his shoulder, "See ya around," he saluted before disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

"Tell me, is this fate or coincidence?" Nnoitra asked, chuckling at the sight of an annoyed Ichigo.

Ichigo left the apartment to shop for groceries to make dinner tonight; he thought it would be a good day. Turns out, he was completely wrong. He never expected to encounter this creepy man again. He thought to himself, the Lord must be testing his patience. "This is a curse," Ichigo uttered, walking around the man.

"So this is the notorious Kurosaki-kun," a smooth, deep voice spoke. Ichigo turned around, seeing a tall, average-looking, polite man. He had brown hair that was slicked back and a face that didn't seem malicious. However, there was something about his aura that made him... unlikeable. He extended his hand to Ichigo, who looked at it with disgust. "My name is Aizen Sosuke. I am pleased to finally meet you."

Ichigo understood right away that this was the 'boss' that Grimmjow had been spewing about. "Ah, so you're their pimp eh?" Ichigo sarcastically spoke. "I'm not interested, so get lost."

Aizen, however, only chuckled at Ichigo's snide remarks. "I believe you'll be an important asset to Hueco Mundo with your previous experiences. Won't you reconsider?" he smiled charmingly. Behind him stood two other men. One of them was dark skinned and the other one pale with slit eyes and a detestable grin.

Though Aizen spoke with 'politeness,' Ichigo was able to see through his mask. "What? Your hosts aren't pulling enough money in so you need me to save your business?" Ichigo was amused at how desperate they were. "Quit embarrassing yourselves."

Aizen held his head high, almost as though he was looking down on Ichigo. He was cocky and proud. "You have someone you want to protect, I heard?"

Ichigo glowered. Was he threatening him? "I'll rip your throat out and leave you to choke on your blood if you dare come near her."

Aizen shook his head, "I'm not threatening your woman. Rather, I'm blackmailing you. If you don't obey me, I will reveal the truth of your relationship to her brother. That is what you both are desperately trying to protect, is it not?" The cruel smile never left his lips. Ichigo curled his hands into angry fists. "Working in Hueco Mundo, you will receive payment. There is nothing for you to lose."

Nothing for Ichigo to lose?

Aizen stood beside Ichigo, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Do you understand your situation?"

Ichigo wanted to shove his fist down Aizen's throat. He wanted to cause Aizen pain for treating him like he was his property - for getting in the way of him and Rukia. Ichigo wouldn't be losing nothing. He'd be losing everything. He already sworn to stop selling himself - he swore Rukia would be the only one for him. If Rukia were to find out about him working at Hueco Mundo, he'd lose her. If he didn't obey Aizen, he'd lose her. Ichigo's fists uncurled as he was helpless. Speaking through gritted teeth, he grudgingly replied, "I understand."

Later as the sun set, Ichigo returned home. "You're home early," he said, seeing Rukia home already. He closed the door behind him. Rukia looked up, greeting him wearily. The two of them looked exhausted, "Rough day?" Ichigo asked, slumping on the couch beside her.

Rukia couldn't tell Ichigo about her encounter with Grimmjow. She found no point in telling him anyway since it would only get him mad for no reason. All she wanted to do was forget about it. "Looks like you had a rough day too," Rukia commented, seeing the dullness in his eyes.

Ichigo couldn't bear to tell her his new job as a host. Now he understood how it felt to lie... From here on, he would be seeing other girls behind Rukia's back; Ichigo grimaced, wrapping his arms around her.

Rukia quirked a brow, "Is something wrong?" she asked, hoping to comfort him.

Ichigo shook his head. He found solace in her warmth, only she could calm him down. "I just felt like hugging you," he said. Rukia couldn't pinpoint it, but if she were to describe it, she'd say it was like he was trying to apologize to her. "I found a job today; I'm working night shifts."

Rukia gawked at him, "That's great," she grinned. "What's your job?"

Ichigo sighed at the dreaded question; he didn't want to answer. "A security guard," he lied. Rukia lit with joy, congratulating him. "Thanks," he said without enthusiasm. Before it was Rukia lying to him, and now it was him lying to her. Ichigo wished he could tell her the truth, but he just knew that she wouldn't allow him to work at Hueco Mundo despite his intentions of doing it to protect their relationship. Ichigo died a little each time she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Rukia sighed, "I think things are finally turning out good." She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Ichigo shifted in place, feeling regret. He didn't want to taint her innocence with his dirty hands. He didn't deserve her kindness, he felt.

* * *

**Next Day**

"Can't believe I'm being forced to do this," Ichigo grumbled as he stood in front of Hueco Mundo. It was beginning to get dark and already, all the perverted people with money began to swarm into the place. Guess nighttime_ is_ when everybody gets freaky. Ichigo walked into the building and he could already feel himself becoming deaf with the booming music.

People, mainly women, crowded the place inside. Some women were in groups sitting at tables and some, the ones who paid more, sat in private rooms where they spent a one-on-one time with the hosts. "You're late, Kurosaki. And what the hell is this - you didn't even dress for the occasion," Grimmjow mugged Ichigo.

Indeed, Grimmjow himself cleaned up pretty well. He dressed in a fine suit and he smelled of expensive cologne. He was, for lack of a better word, a stud. Ichigo, however, was in casual clothing and smelt like rabbit fur. "I don't need fancy clothing to impress women," Ichigo brushed past him, earning a low growl from him.

"If Aizen didn't favor you, I would've killed you by now," Grimmjow hissed before putting on a facade and going to greet women at the door.

"That orange hair and constant scowling... you must be Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo looked to his left to see a melancholy looking man. Yet another strange looking fellow, Ichigo thought. He had black hair, green eyes, and the whitest skin Ichigo ever laid eyes upon. "I'm Ulquiorra. Aizen-sama recruited you to Hueco Mundo; I will be teaching you the basics for today. Follow me," he gestured.

Ichigo sighed, following Ulquiorra to the back of the room. There, he saw more strange looking people, who Ulquiorra introduced as the other hosts. "What is this, the dressing room?" Ichigo saw the hosts pampering themselves with makeup and fixing their hair. Ulquiorra nodded.

"Wear this." Ulquiorra shoved some folded clothes into Ichigo's arms. "Aizen-sama says you used to prostitute, something you were famous for. If this is true, then you must know a woman's heart, correct?" He asked, completely void of emotion.

"I only slept with women. I wasn't a knight in shining armor that pulled the door for them or dried their tears," Ichigo said.

"Then you best learn how to if you wish to save your relationship with that girl."

Ichigo quickly dressed into the suit and made way towards the main room where the hosts were entertaining the women. Ichigo could see Grimmjow in one corner chugging down a large bottle of champagne while the women were cheering him on and laughing aloud. Nnoitra sat at another table with two girls in his arms. Ulquiorra was at the doorway greeting girls. Another man, who Ulquiorra introduced as Stark, was groping one girl. The atmosphere was just... _steamy_.

"Oh my goodness! A-Are you Kurosaki Ichigo?" Ichigo threw an unintentional glare at the person speaking to him. It was a woman in her mid 20's. "Don't you remember me? We slept together a few times back then," she smiled, earning no reaction from Ichigo. He couldn't recall.

Ichigo was seated down with the woman, who said her name was Nanami.

"Is this your first time working here? You seem a little tense, totally not the Ichigo I used to know," Nanami laughed. She scooted a little closer to Ichigo, who was seeking for an exit out of the conversation. "You know," she cooed, batting her lashes at him, "we can get out of here and do... other _things_. I'll pay full service," she winked flirtatiously.

Ichigo scratched behind his ear, a little uneasy. He could tell the other workers were watching him so that he didn't make a mistake. "How about a drink instead?" Ichigo asked. Nanami pouted, but agreed anyway. Ichigo grabbed a champagne bottle, nearly choking when he saw the price. It was ridiculously expensive - he was definitely glad that he didn't have to pay for it. "Here," Ichigo poured a glass for her.

"You drink it," Nanami urged, "_all_ of it."

Ichigo blinked. Was she serious? The size of the bottle of was huge - there was no way he could drink it all without passing out. Plus, he hadn't drank in a long time. "Well..." Ichigo stood, a little intimidated by the drink, "here goes to Rukia," he said in an inaudible voice before drowning himself in the liquid.

Slowly but surely, the bottle emptied. "Wow, you're so manly!" Nanami clapped, holding onto Ichigo's arm. Already, Ichigo was seeing stars. "Drink another one!"

… "Are you serious?" Ichigo deadpanned.

There was no way Ichigo would last the night.

* * *

**A/N: **No, Nanami is not a character from Bleach. I just made her up on a whim. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I kinda added more drama to this chapter. Yes, I know, you're probably screaming at me, "more angst!?"

Yes, my lovelies. More angst. Why? Because I love it! Bwahaha!

Please **review** ;)


	14. Escort

**"Escort"**

Ichigo crouched over in the bathroom stall with his head practically in the toilet. He hurled over, vomiting the drink he downed earlier. "What a girl! You can't even handle four bottles?" Grimmjow taunted, standing behind him with a pleased expression. Ichigo let out a cough, feeling ill to the bone.

Ichigo placed his hands on the toilet seat, lifting himself up. Ichigo barely managed to walk correctly. "Shut up."

"Quitting now?" Grimmjow raised a brow, "I always knew you were pathetic. Aizen was a fool to think you'd make a great host. I'm number one and always will be," he stabbed Ichigo in the chest with his finger. "Hurry up; there are more customers."

God... this was like a relay race and Grimmjow was Ichigo's coach, screaming in his ear to reach the finish line. Though, Ichigo didn't feel a little motivated at all from his insults. "I heard you the first time," Ichigo mumbled, giving him the finger before getting back to work.

* * *

**Next Day**

Rukia woke up that morning entangled in her bed sheets, but found the bed Ichigo-less. She frowned, thinking it was really strange. Before when she used to make him sleep on the sofa, he'd give her a lonely look that begged for permission to let him sleep beside her. Now that she did let him, he didn't want to be close to her? "Make up your mind, idiot," Rukia mumbled, still half-asleep. She lingered towards the bathroom, "Good morning Kon. How was your sleep-..."

Rukia paused, seeing Ichigo sprawled across the bathroom floor. Did she dare check to confirm if it was his corpse or not? Kon hopped over to Ichigo's side, licking his nose. "Mm... Rukia?" Ichigo slowly opened his eyes while puckering his lips for Kon.

"Up here," Rukia kicked Ichigo's feet. He shot up as if he was just resurrected from the dead. "So, sleeping in here is better than sleeping beside me huh?" Rukia glared, a little annoyed. Ichigo winced, feeling like collapsing again. Oh, the hangover was terrific. The pain of a thousand needles stabbing his brain was just agonizing. "I didn't know working as a security guard could make you drunk. So, what happened last night?" She crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the ground.

Huh, what did happen last night? Ichigo could barely recall. Slowly, it was coming back to him. He could hear girls laughing and Grimmjow's bitching in the back of his head. "I went drinking," he said. It wasn't a lie. When Rukia asked why, he responded stupidly with, "I don't know." Ichigo was always a bad liar. "I just wanted to uh... have some alone time and do that sort of thing."

Rukia picked up Kon, giving a little 'hmph' while turning her face away. Ichigo sighed, a little happy even though now wasn't the time to be beaming. Like this, it seemed like they were a married couple and Kon was their son. "Why would you feel the need to get drunk?" Ichigo could tell her question was not out of anger, but mainly curiosity and perhaps a hint of worry.

"Don't tell me you think I did it to get rid of stress?" Ichigo asked. Of course, most women would feel that way. "You're not stressing me out if that's what you're trying to say."

Rukia held Kon closely to her like he was her stuffed toy. "Am I just being paranoid?"

"A little, yeah."

Rukia felt silly. Here she was being overly dramatic for no reason, she thought. "You must think I'm an obsessed girlfriend now, huh?"

Ichigo shook his head, "No, but I do think you need to stop thinking for me," he laughed, standing up. Rukia cowered before him, "I think it's cute how you're worrying for me." Ever since Ichigo had ran away from home, he never had anyone to lecture him and worry for him. For Rukia to scold him, he felt... cared for.

"Y-Yeah well... pull this stunt again and you're dead," Rukia threatened, though that wasn't what she intended to say. She didn't want to get too sweet and say, 'Oh, honey I'm glad you're fine; that's all that matters.' No way would she ever let those words slip out of her mouth! "I'm going to work soon; watch Kon and the house," she said before leaving him.

Ichigo laughed to himself, "She loves me."

* * *

**That Night**

"My god... what a beautiful man."

"How much for the whole package?"

Ichigo stepped into Hueco Mundo with eyes practically devouring him. The women brushed their hands along his chest while harassing him. To think that a long time ago, he was the kind of person who slept with girls like these. As usual, Hueco Mundo was filled with women and the hosts; it was a sanctuary for ladies. "Would it kill you to smile?" asked Ulquiorra, who was dressed in a fine suit along with the other hosts and Ichigo.

"Yeah, it would," replied Ichigo.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes, looking like he was restraining from strangling Ichigo. "Your presence here already lead to an increase of clients. If it weren't for that, Aizen-sama would surely fire you." Ichigo never thought there'd be a day where he would be thankful to his father, but today he was happy his dad passed down some good-looking genes. "A woman requested you today; she's at table four."

Ichigo sighed, hoping it wasn't Nanami. The girl practically destroyed his kidneys by making him drink so much last night. Since working as a host, Ichigo had finally realized that women were evil. They saw men as toys and liked to manipulate them in anyway they could to entertain themselves. "It's a pleasure to meet you; I'm very glad to be able to spend this night with a beautiful woman like you," said Ichigo through gritted teeth as he approached the woman.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo's fake smile broke as he recognized that voice. "Inoue?" he blurted out, seeing Orihime's equally surprised expression. "What are you doing here?" he asked, sitting beside her. Man, working here was making Ichigo realize all new things. Who knew Orihime was the type to turn to host clubs? Ichigo was beginning to see her in a different light.

"I should be asking you that," Orihime responded. "There were rumors going around saying a handsome orange-haired man was working here... for some reason, I suspected it was you. Apparently the rumors were true."

Ichigo hung his head low; was he that popular among the ladies? What a curse it was. "Yeah well... here I am. This is a pretty degrading job, isn't it?"

Orihime didn't laugh. Her eyes drooped with sadness, "Is there a reason why you're working here?"

"It's a long story."

"It's because of Kuchiki-san, isn't it?"

Ichigo couldn't find the right words to say to Orihime. He sighed, irritated that he got stuck in such a situation. "Don't tell her about this," was all he mumbled. The conversation became awkward as neither of them knew what to say. "W-Well, you're only wasting money by sitting here with me. Now that you've confirmed the rumors, you should leave. This place isn't good."

Orihime shook her head, smiling innocently. "I'll stay here with you. From the looks of it," she glanced around, seeing Grimmjow getting wasted and Nnoitra making out with someone, "it seems like you need protection from these women. The least I can do is book you for the night so you don't end up throwing up later."

"Ahh, thanks for not leaving me for dead. I really hate doing this."

"Is she worth this?" Orihime asked unconsciously. Her hand immediately clamped her mouth, "I- I didn't mean to..." Now Ichigo was going to think she was a selfish person, she thought. It's just that she didn't like to see him working at such a place; she wanted to know why he was doing all this for one girl.

Ichigo hoped to show that he wasn't offended by laughing, "I know what you mean. Most people would find it hard to understand how one person could suffer for the sake of another..." Ichigo pondered to himself before answering Orihime. "Rukia's worth everything."

Orihime grimaced, feeling a sharp pain through her chest. "Really?"

"Really." Ichigo and Orihime sat in silence for a moment. "When my mother died, I hated myself and the entire world. Everyone pitied me and scolded me for being stupid, but Rukia didn't. She was just a friend that I needed."

Orihime finally smiled. "I'm glad she was able to save you."

"Me too."

* * *

**One Week Later**

Once again, just like the past few days, Rukia found Ichigo sleeping in the bathroom. She sighed, not bothering to wake him up. She couldn't figure out why he developed this strange habit of coming late and sleeping by the toilet, but she felt she'd just let him speak when he felt like it. When Rukia asked Ichigo why he was acting strange yesterday, he told her that he didn't feel like talking.

Slowly, Rukia felt like Ichigo was slipping through her fingers. She thought that their relationship would improve after she gave her virginity to him, but it seemed quite the opposite. Despite being worried, she still had to get to work.

The day carried on as usual and Rukia knew that by the time she returned home, Ichigo would be gone like usual. "Perhaps he's... no," she shook her head, laughing at her stupid assumptions. Rukia just thought for a moment that Ichigo became a prostitute again. Ichigo changed; he wouldn't betray her... or so she hoped.

"Hey!" Rukia jumped, feeling a slap to her back. She turned around, seeing Rangiku with her casual grin. "The mixer is tonight~ You sure you don't want to go? There will be sexy men and-"

"I'm fine, thank you."

Rangiku noticed the frown on Rukia's face. "You know... the mixer isn't important to me. If you need company tonight, I can..."

"No no," Rukia waved her arms in front of her. "Thanks so much, but I don't want to be a burden. Besides, I've got things to do later." By 'things,' Rukia meant feeding Kon.

And so it was left as that. Rukia spent the rest of her day organizing paperwork for Ukitake and Rangiku spent the rest of her day wondering which outfit to wear for the mixer. "Huh? You're all bailing out on me?" Rangiku bellowed as Momo and Nanao apologized.

"I need to keep an eye out on Kyoraku at the party so he'll be my date..." Nanao said grudgingly while pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"And Shiro-chan didn't have a date, so I'll be there with him," said Momo.

Rangiku sighed, holding her head in despair. "I guess I'll be all alone tonight then," she moped. Rangiku returned home that night. Her apartment place was quite small (and extremely messy). Such a pretty lady like herself was not fit to do housework, she felt. Rangiku sighed, standing in front of the mirror while holding out her red dress that she was going to wear for tonight's mixer.

If Gin were still with the Gotei 13, would he be her date? Rangiku's glare suddenly vanished. She had a great idea.

* * *

**Hueco Mundo**

"And then we can go to my place..."

Ichigo fought to stay awake. At two in the morning, he was feeling sluggish and weary even though there were pretty women in front of him. Maybe it was the alcohol? Or perhaps he was just didn't give a damn. "Where... the fuck do you think you're touching?" Ichigo asked, a little drunk. The woman beside him was clearly trying to unbuckle Ichigo's belt.

"Aw," the girl whined, "I got caught," she laughed playfully.

Ichigo usually wasn't the type to cuss at a girl, but perhaps it was the alcohol too... or maybe he really just didn't give a damn.

"Ichigo," spoke a serious voice. Ichigo looked over his shoulder to see Ulquiorra, "there was a specific request for you by someone. Head to Aizen-sama's office." Ichigo sighed, yanking his arm away from the girl. "And don't screw this one up," Ulquiorra stopped Ichigo, "she's paying extra money for your service."

Great, thought Ichigo. Was it sex? It would be the first time someone requested that from him while he's been working here. "What is it?" asked Ichigo as he entered Aizen's office.

Sitting behind a grand oak table was the almighty Aizen. He smiled to Ichigo, gesturing for him to sit. "It seems you are quite popular with the women, despite your dog-like behavior."

Ichigo scoffed, sitting down in the fancy leather chair. "What can I say? Women are masochists."

"Indeed. You must be wondering why you're here?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "If I have to perform any sexual acts for some woman, you'd best believe-"

"Gin," Aizen turned his attention away from Ichigo and towards the fox-like man. "Has Ms. Matsumoto paid the entire bill for an entire day with Ichigo?"

Gin looked displeased for a second before his smirk returned. Ichigo worried. For what reason would a woman rent him for an entire day? It was extremely costly - surely something was up. "She has," replied Gin, who was practically biting on his tongue.

"Ichigo. Ms. Matsumoto has booked an entire day with you to have you as her date at a cocktail party. She is paying a lot of money for this, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. Understand?"

Ichigo _hated _being spoken to like a child, and especially by Aizen. "Sure."

Gin grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder, and with his eerie voice, he told Ichigo, "You'd best be like a prince and treat her like a princess, or it'll be the end of ya."

Ichigo sneered, pulling away from Gin. How hard was it to be a date? All he had to do was smile and look cute like a little marionette doll. "You have my word," replied Ichigo.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry it took me forever to upload this chapter. I was away - y'know, having fun on my winter break (yeah, I do have a life)! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please **review :)**


	15. Calm Before the Storm

**"Calm Before the Storm"**

On the floor was an empty open box. Rukia stared at the cocktail dress she bought for today's party. It was a V-neck dress. There were no sleeves and it extended down until it was just a little above her knees. The black dress was patterned with gold fronds made of sequin. The heels Rukia bought were black, just like the leggings she'd wear with the outfit.

Rukia grumbled. Attending parties is such a hassle, she felt. Besides, she would only embarrass herself if she were to go. Her thoughts were constantly being plagued by Ichigo; she kept wondering what he was up to. How was she going to keep a smile at the party when she's worrying like this? "It's three in the morning..." she muttered, looking at the clock on the wall. "Ichigo's not home yet."

Today, Rukia didn't have work because everyone was preparing for the party. She figured she'd be the creepy girlfriend and wait up for Ichigo to return. Waiting in the main room, she could hear the ticking sounds of the clock and her light breathing. Kon was asleep in her lap, dreaming about carrots. Just sitting here like this made her feel quite... lonely. What if Ichigo walked through the door with a beer bottle in his hand? Or what if he had kiss marks along his neck? Or what if... what if he never returned?

"I'm so pathetic," Rukia sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. Rukia glanced over at the door knob, hearing it twist and turn. "Ichigo?" Rukia held her breath. What would she do if he came home drunk again? Rukia glared, cracking her knuckles. She wouldn't take this anymore. She was going to beat him senseless if he-

"Oh... Rukia," said a sober Ichigo. He closed the door behind him, yawning as Rukia quickly hid her fists. "Did you wait up for me? You didn't have to."

Rukia couldn't help but curse at herself for being so idiotic. "It's alright. I wanted to wait. I made dinner if you're hungry-"

"No thanks. I'm just tired," Ichigo said while kicking off his shoes and taking off his coat. Rukia followed him to the bedroom, seeing him jump onto the bed and close his eyes.

Ah... what a fool Rukia was. While Ichigo is working out so late at night, she's accusing him of cheating on her. She climbed into bed with him. Ichigo slept on his side so that his back was turned to her. She reached out, placing her hand on his broad shoulder. She ran her finger along his jawline, feeling his sharp features. His skin was warm and smooth.

Rukia gripped onto Ichigo's bicep as she leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. "That tickles..." Ichigo mumbled, breathing softly. He rolled over onto his back, looking up at Rukia. "Is something bothering you?" he asked, seeing the pain in her violet eyes.

"Why do your clothes smell like perfume? And why won't you look at me?"

Ichigo couldn't bear to lie to Rukia. He grimaced, reaching up and pulling her towards him into an embrace. She rested her head against his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. "This is something that I just can't tell you right now Rukia. Trust me when I say that I'm looking at only you."

Rukia clutched onto Ichigo's shirt. How could she believe him with such simple words? "Okay... but when I find out the truth and if it's something that I don't like, I definitely won't forgive you, got it?" She squinted her eyes at him, making sure he got the message. "If I'm played like a fool again..."

Ichigo was flooded with memories of how Rukia had been betrayed by Renji Abarai a while ago. He could still remember the scalding tears that fell from her pretty eyes and how her brows knitted together in pain. He never wished to see Rukia like that again, and he swore that he would not be the one to make her cry. "You're in my care, aren't you? I may not have many talents, but I'm sure I can at least manage you. You'll be fine."

Rukia placed her chin on Ichigo's chest, peering into his reassuring eyes. Ichigo nodded to her. He reached out, rubbing his thumb on her forehead to erase her frown. "Idiot..." she muttered shyly. There was no doubt about it. The lifting feeling in her stomach and the shakes she'd get in her knees when she looked at Ichigo were all symptoms of that feeling she became numb to long ago. She turned her gaze away from him, "Can I be a little honest with you right now?"

Ichigo quirked a brow. "Sure, as long as it doesn't apply to that saying, 'some things are better left unknown.'"

Rukia laughed softly, making swirls with her finger along Ichigo's pecs. She didn't know what possessed her, but for some reason, she just had to tell him. "I think I might really love you."

Ichigo blinked owlishly, gaping his mouth. Rukia loves him? Trying to maintain his cool, he resisted the urge to give her a thousand kisses and thank yous. He cleared his throat, "I'm... happy," he told. Rukia smiled, only making it harder for him to control his joy. Inside, he was flipping out and going insane. Even though it was a semi-confession, it was enough to make him feel like a winner. "Ah... has the world always been this pink?" he asked, practically melting. "I feel like a new man," he grinned, cocking his head in all directions.

Rukia rolled her eyes at his sudden ego boost. "I did say _might_, right?"

Ichigo smirked, shaking his head. "I've got you wrapped all around my fingers, Kuchiki Rukia."

Rukia sighed, surrendering. "Then please take care of me."

Ichigo couldn't describe the feeling, but for lack of a better word, he felt... honored. Rukia was entrusting him with everything. It was a heavy task, but Ichigo never doubted his abilities. Challenge accepted! "No need to tell me." He rolled over so that now Rukia was beneath him as he hovered over her petite body. She was so fragile looking, like glass, but her will was strong. He looked into her jewel eyes with his fierce ones, staring deeply to let her understand that he wouldn't hurt her. "May I kiss you?"

Rukia flushed before giving him permission with a nod. Ichigo, entranced by her different beauty, couldn't deny. Slowly, he pressed his lips to her tender ones, savoring every taste and moment. He nibbled gently on her bottom lip, smiling against them. Rukia embraced him, pulling his body closer to her.

* * *

**That Evening...**

"How do I look?" Rukia turned away from the mirror, facing Ichigo now. She twiddled her thumbs, something she usually did when she was nervous. "And don't you dare say I look like I'm begging for sex," she said, echoing the words he once told her.

Ichigo snickered at the memories. Yes, even he'd admit that he was an asshole back then, but hey. He only said it because he was a tad jealous. Ichigo took his eyes off the comedy show he was watching on t.v. and glanced at Rukia, nearly choking on the drink he was sipping on. She wore the dress from earlier along with a pearl necklace and gold earrings to match her dress. Her hair was pulled up into a pretty bun with some strands of hair hanging at the side of her face. Her lips were stained with red lipstick and her cheeks were a perfect shade of pink.

"With that reaction, I'm guessing I'm good to go," Rukia laughed, grabbing her purse. "My co-worker is picking me up, so-"

"You look like you're begging for sex!" Ichigo blurted with his eyes nearly falling out of his sockets. "And I'm serious. Don't you have one of those stupid cardigans to wear or something? My god, cover that cleavage," he barked, opening her closet and searching for something to solve this problem.

Rukia sighed, cocking her head with her hand on her hip while Ichigo was holding out sweaters to her side to see if they matched her outfit. "Would you relax? I'm going to a cocktail party. Not some bar," she lowered his hands, trying to reassure him.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, "Hey, parties can turn into orgies you know-"

"Pervert," Rukia accused, slapping him at the back of his head. "Men who work at Gotei 13 are respectable people. It's all business."

"Tch... fine, just take this then." Ichigo reached into his pocket for an item, placing it into Rukia's hand.

Rukia raised a brow. "_Pepper spray_? You're unbelievable. Why do you even carry something like this around?"

Ichigo gave a suspicious laugh. Hueco Mundo was a dangerous place. Women there are scary and have no shame once they step into the host club. They'll claw at him and violate him; he needed protection. "Ju-Just for occasions like this," he lied. "But Rukia..." Ichigo placed two fingers under her chin, lifting her head up so that she was looking at him. "Come back home, got it? Because if you leave with some other man... Kon just might die without you!" he said fiercely.

Rukia laughed, nodding, "Of course. Well, I think my ride is here so... see you later," she waved.

Ichigo sighed helplessly as the door closed behind her. He glanced at his wristwatch, seeing the time. Quickly, he pulled out the expensive black suit he bought from beneath the bed. He threw on a white dress shirt, his polished shoes, and then he put on some fancy cologne to finish off. "I hate formal events," he uttered, straightening his black tie. Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked up.

"_Hey stud, I'm outside," _Rangiku said excitedly through the phone. _"Don't keep a girl waiting!" _she exclaimed before hanging up.

Ichigo sighed, leaving the apartment. He made his way to the parking lot. There, he saw a bright red convertible ferrari with its headlights on. Rangiku sat up from the tan leather seat, waving to him. "Over here sweetie!" she said, gesturing him over. Ichigo blinked rapidly. Nice ride, he thought. Ichigo took the passenger seat, greeting her. "Boo, no flowers?" she said, pretending to be disappointed.

"You look beautiful," Ichigo reached into his coat, pulling out a single rose. "For you," he held it to her.

Rangiku blushed slightly. "My, you _are _quite the man," she held her hand over her huge bosoms before taking the flower. "You might want to seat belt," she winked to Ichigo, "a girl like me likes to go fast on the road!"

Before Ichigo could though, Rangiku slammed her foot on pedal, nearly sending Ichigo flying out the car. "Are you insane?!" He shouted, gripping tightly onto the seat as he was on the verge of tears.

Rangiku laughed before slowing down, "I'm sorry. It's just so fun teasing men." Yes, she was a maneater, Ichigo concluded. "Oh, are you okay?" she asked dumbly as Ichigo turned green to the face.

"I think I lost my spine," Ichigo responded, still trying to feel his pulse. He glanced over at her, still seeing her smiling. "Is your favorite color red?" Ichigo asked. Rangiku wore a glamorous red dress that reached her ankles. Her long blonde/orange hair was wavy, sort of resembling her curvy body.

"Wow, nice guess," Rangiku nodded happily.

"No... it's just obvious," Ichigo deadpanned. "I've been meaning to ask. Is there a reason why you're paying so much money for just one day with me? Could it be you're expecting... extra service?" Ichigo asked, hoping she'd say no. By extra service, he meant the whole package of sex.

Rangiku glanced at him before sighing hopelessly. "No. I just needed a date for tonight, and I wanted to spite someone. I'm a woman with class; one night stands are not my thing."

Ichigo was a little surprised with Rangiku's response. He definitely didn't expect her to say something like that. "Could that someone be Ichimaru Gin?" When Rangiku's face cringed with sorrow, he knew he was right. "Sorry," he apologized for bringing her unpleasant thoughts. "If it makes you feel better... he threatened me to make sure I don't hurt you."

Rangiku laughed, a little cheerful now. "That's just like him. When you go back to that place, make sure to brag about how lovely I was and what a great night we had together. Make sure to tell me what his reaction is." Ichigo couldn't help but pity Rangiku. She seemed like a nice person to just talk to. "Now that you got my answer, may I ask you a question?" Ichigo was reluctant at first, but nodded. "Why are you working at such a place? I ask that to Gin all the time, but never answers."

"We all have our reasons."

"Tell me your reason then."

Ichigo wasn't sure how to say it. "To protect the person I love."

"Eh?" Rangiku braked at a red light, nearly sending Ichigo out the car a second time. "That's so... romantic!" she gushed. "She must be one lucky gal. Introduce me to her next time."

"Sure," Ichigo said awkwardly.

Eventually, Rangiku rolled up to the front of a building. Ichigo looked up in awe at the looming building. It must've been at least a hundred stories high! They both stepped out the car; Ichigo felt out of place. He never dared to come close to fancy places like these. "Here you go," Rangiku gave her keys to a valet. "Shall we?" she turned to Ichigo, who nodded anxiously.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, thanks a lot to those who reviewed last chapter. It was the most I got since chapter one! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will definitely be a fateful meeting soon, bwahahaha! Oh, also! This story is very near the end. I think about 2-5 more chapters and this series is over! Thought I'd tell you now to brace yourselves teehee.

Please **review **;)


	16. A Fated Meeting

"**The Fated Meeting"**

"Thanks for picking me up," Rukia said, still a little nervous because she was sitting alone in a car with Ukitake.

"It's not a problem," Ukitake reassured. "You look lovely tonight," he said earnestly. Rukia thanked him, keeping her eyes away from him. "Are you cold?" he asked, turning up the heat.

Rukia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "My brother will be there, won't he?" she asked.

"So that's what's bothering you," Ukitake glanced at Rukia, seeing her lost in thought. "You'll be fine. He's your brother; you shouldn't treat him like a stranger." That's where he was wrong, Rukia thought. Her whole life, she never had a decent conversation with Byakuya. He always kept to himself and spoke only when necessary. He was the closest person to her, yet the farthest as well. "We've arrived," Ukitake informed, pulling to the front of Gotei 13.

Rukia's heart began to race. It was like she was attending to her own wedding. They both exited Ukitake's black BMW, heading to the party. Rukia turned her head in all directions, seeing other women dressed in lovely gowns. She wondered if she had done enough to at least not look like an outsider. When they entered the party, Rukia could see many round tables covered in white cloths. A chandelier was hung at the high ceiling. Calm, relaxing music played while employees from Gotei 13 and its business partners mingled.

"Ukitake-san," a person approached the man, extending his hand. Ukitake was a little surprised, but received the man warmly. Rukia smiled lightly, giving Ukitake a look that said it was okay for him to leave her side, and so he did. It was expected of a man of high caliber, Rukia thought.

Rukia felt out of place here. Everyone was talking and laughing, but no one wanted to approach her. She checked herself constantly to make sure she was smiling and looking friendly. She had a bad habit of glaring unconsciously when she was bored to death. "Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia turned around to meet a new person. It was a man in his mid 30's. She didn't recognize him, so she assumed he was not working at Gotei 13. "Hello," Rukia said, slightly bowing her head. He introduced himself as Takuma. They began with simple pleasantries, and Rukia was a tad happy because she didn't want to seem like a loner at the party.

"Yes, I work as a journalist. Sometimes people think we're a nuisance, but it makes work interesting," Takuma laughed half-heartedly. "So, rumor has it that you're adopted into the Kuchiki clan?" he asked suddenly. Of course, Rukia thought, he would want to know about the unimportant news. She nodded to his question. "And your brother, Byakuya Kuchiki, is he attending this party?" His eyes searched for the famous noble.

Rukia sighed, feeling like a fool. Of course, the only reason why someone would want to talk to her is because of her connection with the almighty Byakuya Kuchiki. "I believe so. I haven't seen him though," she said, also hoping that it stayed that way. The last thing she wanted to do was to see him. It wasn't that she hated him, it's just that she didn't have the courage to face him. He was that type of person whose aura would scare away others, including her, his own sister.

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Rangiku had just entered the room. "My, what boring music," Rangiku sighed, wishing there'd be some exciting tunes to jam to on the dance floor. "Oh, champagne!" she beamed at the sight of bottles lying at a table. Ichigo, in contrast, groaned. He felt nauseous just looking at them. A waiter came by, pouring a glass for her. "I don't know about you Ichigo, but I'm _starving_."

Ichigo frowned, expecting the place to be a little different. "Is this a business cocktail party?" he asked.

"Of course," Rangiku said, a little disappointed that it was. "Are you gonna drink that?" she asked, pointing to Ichigo's glass. Ichigo shook his head, giving it to her. "Really... I don't know why I became a businesswoman."

"What did you always want to be?" Ichigo asked, taking away the bottle of champagne before Rangiku could drink it all and become drunk. She sighed, pouting her lips while staring at the boring scene of people speaking amongst each other.

"A housewife," Rangiku answered simply. She looked at Ichigo with interest, "Wouldn't it be nice? Just staying home and waiting for a husband to come back from work and take care of me. Too bad there are no good men nowadays," she muttered, having completely no faith in men. "What about you Ichigo? Haven't you always wanted to be something more than a host?"

"Hm..." Ichigo frowned. It wasn't a hard question, but for some reason, he struggled to answer it. "I'm not sure. Just a normal guy, I guess. Any work would do for me, so long as I'm not suffering," he glared to himself, wishing he could give Aizen a sky uppercut.

"So about that girl of yours... do you plan on marrying her?" Rangiku asked slyly, eager to gossip. Ichigo turned pink, making Rangiku laugh. "Men, you all get scared at the mention of marriage."

"We shouldn't be talking about my life. My job as a host is to make you feel like a princess," Ichigo said.

"Geez, it's not like I'm confiding in you. I just want to talk."

Ichigo sighed, "Well, she and I haven't been dating for that long, so I'm not too sure about it yet."

"What?" Rangiku blurted, nearly causing a scene. "You love her, don't you?" Ichigo nodded. "Well then what are you waiting for?"

Ichigo couldn't believe how easy Rangiku made marriage seem. There was a lot to it. Heck, Ichigo never even met Rukia's family yet! Ichigo didn't want to say that he wanted to wait until he knew Rukia was the one... because he already did know she was the one. But still... there was a timing for things. "Would you excuse me? I need to use the restroom." All this talk about marriage was making Ichigo uneasy.

Rangiku waved, "Don't keep a lady waiting," was what she said before Ichigo left. "Ah, Rukia!" she flung her arms to get Rukia's attention. Rukia smiled weakly at the sight of her friend. She took a seat in front of Rangiku, feeling exhausted from her long talk with Takuma. "Wow, you made a great transformation," Rangiku complemented, giving Rukia a thumbs up in approval. "Eh, no date?" she asked.

Rukia shrugged, "It was bound to happen. And you?" she asked, smirking at her also date-less friend.

"Ha, wrong!" Rangiku exclaimed. "He's a real hottie; I'll introduce you to him in a bit. He's in the bathroom though," Rangiku giggled. "If you'd like, I can ask him if he has any cute friends that you can get at," Rangiku laughed at Rukia's embarrassed expression.

"I thought the mixer was cancelled though? I saw Momo just now and she told me about it."

Rangiku was quiet for a moment before laughing, "Whoops, caught red-handed. Promise you won't tell?" Rangiku leaned in closely.

"Do I want to know?" Rukia asked, sipping on champagne.

"Yes!" Rangiku nodded. She was the type who couldn't contain herself of secrets and news. "Well," Rangiku placed her hands on her hips, "I paid him to come with me tonight." Before Rukia could ask, Rangiku said, "Don't worry, he's a real nice guy. He works at a host club called Hueco Mundo, and might I say, the men there are top notch," she winked. "Says he's working there to protect the love of his life! Isn't that cute?"

Rukia scratched her head. "And you're sure it's safe to drink that much champagne," Rukia snatched the glass out of Rangiku's hand, "around a stranger? All men are wolves, you should know that."

"I don't want to hear you lecture me," Rangiku whined. "Anyway, hows your boyfriend? You should've invited him to this cocktail party; introduce him to me."

Rukia chuckled a little, "He has work tonight. Besides..."

"Your brother?" Rangiku asked. Rukia nodded, feeling depressed all of a sudden. "So much sob stories tonight," she stole back her drink from Rukia, sipping on it with her pinky finger extending out. "You should have a talk with my date when he comes back. You two seem to be stuck in a complicated situation. Sometimes it's best to confide in people who are similar to you, you know?"

"This is a business party, Rangiku. This isn't a therapist's office."

"Loosen up a bit- ah!" Rangiku's eyes lit up, "Ichigo, this is my friend Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia, this is my date Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Eh?" Rukia turned around, seeing Ichigo who appeared to be equally surprised as she was. Rukia stood up, nearly falling over because of the weakness in her knees. Why is Ichigo standing here, she thought? Wasn't he supposed to be working right now? Realization dawned on her. He lied to her. He'd been working as a host behind her back. He broke the promise he made to take care of her heart.

Ichigo was tongue tied. He didn't know how to react. In the heat of the moment, it seemed like everything just stopped. "Ru... kia," he whispered, still trying to grasp his situation. "I-"

"It's nice to meet you, Ichigo-san. Rangiku told me so much about you," Rukia smiled warmly, extending her hand.

Ichigo stammered, looking at her hand like he didn't know what it was. Why was she pretending to not know him? To act like this was their first time meeting? It was then that he realized that Rukia didn't want to cause a scene. He could tell that behind her big purple eyes that she was angry and probably just as confused as he was. Going along with it, Ichigo shook her tiny hand. "I-It's nice to meet you too, Rukia-san."

The three of them sat at the table. Ichigo and Rukia never made eye contact nor did they speak to each other. "So..." Rangiku bobbed her head, feeling a strange tension in the air. "Ichigo, keep Rukia company while I go get us more drinks, eh?" Ichigo widened his eyes, reaching desperately out for her to stay but she had already gone.

Did Ichigo dare to look at Rukia? He peeked at her, seeing her arms crossed and her hair covering her eyes. Damn, she was angry alright. "Rukia, I-"

"There's no need to explain yourself. I understand the situation. You lied to me about your job when in truth you were working as a host, pleasing other women. It's fine, I get it." Her words were practically dripping with venom and her glare was enough to turn Ichigo to stone. She definitely was not fine. Rukia stood up, leaving the room and going outside.

Ichigo sighed, wondering how he should get Rukia to listen. He followed her behind and eventually they were alone outside at the front of a building where there was a stone fountain with lights surrounding it. "Rukia, listen to me," Ichigo grabbed her shoulder.

Rukia slapped Ichigo's hand away, leaving a permanent sting. "I said earlier that if I found out the truth and it's something that I didn't like, I wouldn't forgive you right?" Ichigo fell silent, devastated at the harsh words she was spitting at him. "Well let me tell you Ichigo... I hate the truth."

"You should understand best why I took up this job! I did it to protect our relationship from your brother. The place I'm working at... they threatened to tell the truth to Byakuya if I didn't work for them. I didn't want to be separated from you, and so I lied to you."

There was a moment of silence before Rukia scoffed in Ichigo's face. Her voice cracked as she was close to crying. Ichigo felt a pang in his chest. Would she let him be the one to comfort her after this? "You're so stupid," she clamped her mouth with her hand, "why didn't you just say no to them?"

"Then your brother would've discovered us..."

"I'd rather have that happen. What makes me angry is that you allowed yourself to be used like that... I don't like seeing you selling yourself like you're some item," Rukia cried, rubbing her eyes with her fists. Ichigo's eyes softened at her words. Till the end, she still cared about him. "What are you doing?" she asked, feeling him pull her against his chest.

"I'm hugging you, obviously." Ichigo wouldn't let Rukia go. He'd keep her forever. "What you said just now really made me happy, so I promise I'll treasure myself more. Okay?"

Rukia grimaced, returning the embrace. Her hands clutched tightly onto Ichigo's clothes, wrinkling them in the process. "Don't do something reckless again, even if it is for us."

Ichigo frowned, "I can't promise that." Rukia pulled away, scowling at him, to which he laughed nervously. "You don't get it Rukia... There is no life without you. If you're out of the picture, then I might as well be that no good Ichigo you met a long time ago. You've made me powerless."

Rukia wavered at Ichigo's words. She felt like crying again. Her chest felt so tight, but it was a nice feeling. Was it love? "If someday I do disappear, you better not cry for days like a spoiled child. If you do, I'll never forgive you-"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, leaning down and placing his lips on Rukia's.

Rukia glared, "Don't think you can just-"

Ichigo kissed Rukia again, longer this time. Rukia's anger dissipated. She closed her eyes, remembering every detail of the kiss so that she'd never forget it. They stood outside the Gotei 13 building, under the winter's dark sky, beneath the street lamps. "Hey, Rukia..." Ichigo looked up at the stars. Rukia lifted her head high as well, wanting to see what he saw. "It's snowing."

The first snowflake slowly came down, falling between them. Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand, guiding it toward the delicate little thing. Gently, it landed in her palm, melting at her warmth. They looked at each other. Not one of them spoke, but instead they showed each other a smile, and it was enough to know that they were in love.

Rukia held Ichigo's hand tightly, "Ichigo, I-"

"Rukia..." a cold voice echoed. The gaze between Rukia and Ichigo broke. She turned her head, seeing a familiar pair of stoic grey eyes. Realization struck her. Ichigo found the moment short lived; he frowned in confusion, feeling Rukia pull away from his touch harshly like it was... wrong.

The man before them narrowed his eyes at Rukia. His head was held high like he was a king, he even dressed like one. Judging by the clothes he was wearing, he was really wealthy and he was probably attending the cocktail party. His eyes were icy and his presence just made it hard to breathe.

"Rukia, who is he?" Ichigo asked Rukia, wondering why she was so unlike herself all of a sudden. When she didn't answer, he decided to ask the man himself. "Who are you?" he asked in his most threatening tone. It was clear to Ichigo that Rukia was afraid of the man, and anyone who made Rukia uncomfortable made it to the top of Ichigo's enemy list.

"_Ichigo_!" Rukia hissed, shooting him a look that was pleading with him to stop.

The man held little interest in his eyes. "It's been a while since we last spoke, Rukia..."

Rukia trembled just hearing him say her name. She lowered her head, cowering before him. "Yes... nii-sama."

* * *

**A/N: **Oh, did I forget to make the title, "A Fated Meeting," plural instead? Whoops, teehee :)


	17. In Too Deep

"**In Too Deep"**

"Brother..?" Ichigo quaked, finally understanding the situation. He and Rukia had been discovered. There was no use lying to Byakuya after he saw them holding hands. "Bya- er... Kuchiki-san," Ichigo lowered his head so that Byakuya was staring at the top of it. "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo. Rukia and I-"

"Have no relationship," Byakuya simply said.

Ichigo looked up in disbelief. Rukia cringed. She couldn't say a thing to her brother. No matter how much she wanted to tell Byakuya that Ichigo was her boyfriend, she knew that in the end, Byakuya wouldn't have it.

"But you don't even know me yet to judge me," Ichigo raised his voice, a little angry that Byakuya was looking down at him like he was some pest. Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say, because Ichigo could tell that Byakuya was already seeing him as an eyesore, even though Byakuya's expression was void of emotion. Also, if Byakuya _were _to know about Ichigo's past, it would seriously make Ichigo's situation worse. "Please," Ichigo pleaded.

Byakuya parted his lips, "I already dislike you, and that is all I need to know. Come, Rukia." Byakuya turned around, facing his back to them. He wanted no questions asked and he expected Rukia to obey him without resistance.

Rukia and Ichigo exchanged looks, and Ichigo could see the pain in her eyes. The two of them didn't know if this was going to be their last meeting. Would this be farewell forever? No, Ichigo would not let this be goodbye. "It's okay, you can go," Ichigo said, confident that Rukia would be fine. She was a capable person afterall.

Rukia frowned, but knew that she couldn't keep her brother waiting. "I'll be back," she promised before leaving with Byakuya.

Ichigo waved, watching Rukia disappear from his sight. His hand fell to his side as he stood there, slowly feeling doubtful about her return. When she comes back, he'll make sure to never let her go again.

"Ichigo!" Rangiku flung her arms in the air, approaching him. "The night isn't over; would you like to boogie?" She shook her hips left and right while blowing a kiss at him. She stopped, seeing the bitter look on Ichigo's face. "Did something happen?"

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to go home. I'll tell Aizen to return your money."

"No, that's fine; I had a great time with you. Would you like me to drive you home? The party is boring anyway," Rangiku insisted.

Ichigo thanked her, but denied her offer. "I'll call a cab."

And so Ichigo left the party by himself. After paying the taxi driver, Ichigo went inside Rukia and his home where he found Kon waiting by the door. The place was cold and dark, lonely as well. Already, it felt like there was no trace of Rukia left. Ichigo picked up Kon, strolling around the apartment and looking for evidence that Rukia existed, just to reassure himself that she was a part of his life. Her clothes were still in the closet, her scent was still on the pillow, and her makeup was still in the bathroom.

Kon jerked in Ichigo's arms, hopping onto the floor and going back into the living room where he waited for Rukia to return.

"Geez, how annoying," Ichigo scratched his head. He sat on the couch, watching the door. "There's no need to sit there and wait like a creep Kon. She'll be here before dawn." Kon scratched his floppy ears and licked his paws.

They both waited there, listening to the sound of the cats outside and ticking noise coming from the clock. However, no matter how long they waited, Rukia never came back... even when dawn arrived.

* * *

**Two Days Later**

"Whadya mean ya quit?" Grimmjow bellowed, eyes fierce and mouth snarling. His foot was on the table that Ichigo was seated at. They both were at Hueco Mundo, but because it was daytime, no one was here yet besides them two.

"Your plan to blackmail me won't work anymore. Her brother already figured us out, so since that's happened... there's no reason for me to work here any longer," Ichigo simply told.

Grimmjow finally barked out laughing, "Tell me, what happened?" He pulled out a chair, sitting on it while leaning forward, eager to hear about Ichigo's 'tale.' "Did her brother castrate you? Did he give you a death sentence?" His grin widened with each question.

Ichigo blinked slowly before standing up, preparing to leave the place for the last time. "Don't bother me anymore," he told.

"C'mon, something had to happen! Seeing you this miserable, it must mean that-"

Ichigo turned around, giving Grimmjow a look that was scary enough to shut him up. "We are in the middle of a shitty neighborhood inside this shitty club," Ichigo grabbed an ice pick that was sitting in a bucket of ice. He pointed it to Grimmjow's neck, running it along his adam's apple, "Do you think anyone would hear you yell if I suddenly felt like ramming this through your throat?"

Grimmjow froze at Ichigo's threat. He staggered backwards, glaring at Ichigo when he stabbed the ice pick onto the table. "You're a dead fucker if I see you around again, Kurosaki."

Ichigo scoffed, glad to leave. Hueco Mundo was a place he'd never miss. Ichigo wondered if he should visit Gotei 13 again. He already went yesterday in hopes of seeing Rukia, but she wasn't there. She'd been missing for two days already... "What are you doing, Rukia?" he mumbled, placing his hands in his pockets while strolling through the area.

Rukia promised to come back, didn't she? Or was Byakuya locking her up in a room so that she couldn't escape? Ichigo groaned, frustrated with these questions. How long would it be till he saw her again? It wasn't officially over between them, was it?

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo turned around, seeing Orihime carrying a bag of groceries. "Inoue..." her name slowly rolled off his tongue. "Here, let me help." He scooped the bag out of her arms.

Orihime laughed nervously, "You don't have to do that." They both walked towards her home.

"Do you still live by yourself?" Ichigo asked. Orihime nodded. "Why not live with Tatsuki? I heard she's living by herself too."

"Tatsuki lives quite far from here. I really like where I live because it's convenient. There's a cafe nearby and the market is close too," Orihime said, smiling warmly to Ichigo. "How's Kuchiki-san?"

Ichigo's face fell dark for a brief moment. "She's fine," he said.

Eventually, they reached Orihime's home. It was a small apartment on the second floor. They went inside; Ichigo placed the bag on her kitchen table. Her home was quite clean and small, but very cozy. She had a small fish tank nearby where she kept her eight gold fishes. The furniture and carpet all had a warm color that brought some light into the place.

Ichigo sat on a bean bag as Orihime prepared some drinks. She set two cups on the coffee table, pouring them both some tea. She watched him intently as he brought the cup to his lips, sipping on the tea. "Kurosaki-kun, you look troubled."

Ichigo raised his brow. It was useless. There was no way he could pretend to be calm when he was clearly upset inside. "I should go-"

"You can talk to me, if you'd like. I don't mind."

Ichigo shook his head, knowing that it'd be a bad idea to talk about his relationship with Rukia to Orihime when it was clear that Orihime was still trying to recover from her recent heartbreak. "It'd be unfair to you if I were to confide in you about Rukia."

Orihime didn't waver. "No it wouldn't. It'd really be unfair if you treated me like a stranger."

Ichigo was reluctant, but felt it was okay to tell Orihime. He told her everything - the reason why he was a host, and the reason why he was a mess. "So... if you see her, please tell me," he finished. His hands were clutching onto his jeans as he was desperate to know what happened to Rukia.

Orihime nodded, "Of course." She could see how troubled Ichigo was. Before, when he never met Rukia yet, he was just a person with no goals in life - a person with nothing to fight for. She smiled, glad to see that Ichigo now had someone to live for. "You shouldn't worry. If it's Kuchiki-san, she'll definitely come back. She might already be home."

For some reason, Ichigo found solace in Orihime's words. "Yeah... Inoue?"

Orihime tilted her head like an owl, "Hm?"

"Thanks for being a good person."

Orihime was a little surprised, but she laughed anyway, nodding.

* * *

Ichigo walked home alone. The sun began to set and soon, it would be four days that Rukia had gone missing. He held his head low as he was deep in thought. Ichigo had no appetite, no strength to smile, and no desire to do anything.

"Who's here?" Ichigo asked himself, noticing an expensive black car parked in front of the apartment building. The chauffeur sat inside the car, waiting for someone it seemed. Ichigo looked up to the second floor where he saw the door to his apartment opened. Could it be? Ichigo dashed up the stairs, nearly tripping several times. He placed his hand on his knees, bending over while catching his breath. "Rukia?" he called out.

Finally, Ichigo caught a glimpse of Rukia. "Ichi... go," she slowly said. She stood in the middle of the room, casually greeting him like she was never gone. "What are you..?" she mumbled into his chest as he pulled her towards him, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame.

"Where were you?" Ichigo grimaced, angry. The empty feeling in his chest began to disappear as he felt Rukia close to his heart. "You're here to stay now, right?" When Rukia didn't answer, Ichigo grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye to try to find an answer. Her eyes were empty. Ichigo looked at the ground, to see her suitcase packed with her belongings. He finally understood the situation. "You're planning to leave? Without saying a word?"

Rukia grabbed Ichigo's wrists, taking his hands off her. Ichigo frowned, confused as to why she was staring at him like he was a stranger. Her thin lips curled into a mocking smile, "I don't get why you're making such a big deal out of it." She left Ichigo dumbfounded. Rukia reached down, grabbing her suitcase and preparing to leave.

"Why aren't you making a big deal about it? Is Byakuya threatening you to do this?" Ichigo raised his voice, glaring at Rukia. He was so mad at her. How could she just say something to heartless?

"Nonsense," Rukia spat. Ichigo cringed as she looked at him with judging eyes. "It's just that I finally came to my senses. What was I thinking in the first place? I'm a noble; hanging around with a lowly prostitute like you was a mistake. You're disgusting."

Ichigo's eyes grew large. There was a sharp pain in his chest. Why was Rukia, the only person who never looked at him any differently, saying such cruel things? Ichigo grabbed her arm, "I thought you were on my side!" Rukia didn't react at all. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you didn't feel anything at all in the past four months that we spent together."

"I felt absolutely nothing."

Ichigo's grip tightened on Rukia's arm, refusing to let her go. "So that's it? I was just a fool this entire time, thinking we both felt the same thing?" Rukia nodded. "If you leave, I'll just throw my life away again. I'll prostitute again," he said, hoping she'd show some sort of concern.

Rukia scoffed, "Do you think that won't bring me a peace of mind? You could disappear and I wouldn't even notice." Hurt, Ichigo's hand slipped from Rukia's arm. She grabbed her luggage, dragging it behind her. "You can spend your life wasting away if you want to, or you can spend it being happy with someone else." Ichigo glanced up at her, seeing a real smile appear on her face this time. "Ichigo... Your world will continue turning, even if I am not in it. Remember that."

The door closed and Ichigo could no longer see her. He fell to his knees, helpless.

* * *

**A/N: **Bam! Harsh break up eh?

Btw, I hoped you noticed that the last words Rukia told Ichigo were words of encouragement to let him know that it's not the end of the world for him and that he can still be happy without her. It's her way of telling him to be strong even though they're not together anymore ^^


	18. In Another Life

"**In Another Life"**

"A new bunny!" Yuzu exclaimed, "Thanks Ichi-nii!" Yuzu took Kon from Ichigo's arms, pulling him into a tight embrace. Karin looked at Kon with caution. "Oh come on Karin. Can't you at least welcome the new family member?" Yuzu asked, pouting while holding Kon to Karin's face, hoping that she'd suddenly see how cute he was.

Karin turned to Ichigo with a raised brow. "Why'd you suddenly decide to get us a pet rabbit? I don't recall it being our birthday."

"Can't I be just be generous without being questioned? Be thankful I didn't get you a pet rock," Ichigo huffed, crossing his arms while having a staring contest with his little sister. Truthfully, it was because there was no one left to take care of Kon. Ichigo had no skills in watching after delicate things and the only one who knew how to raise Kon was...

"Ichigo!" a voice yelled excitedly. Ichigo stepped to the side, dodging his father's bear hug. "I missed you so much my son!" Isshin threw his arms wide open, to which Ichigo looked away. Forgetting his depression, Isshin turned towards Kon; his eyes turned into pink hearts. Isshin ran to the poster of his wife, Masaki, hanging on the wall. "Honey! We have a new family member and he's so beautiful!" He cried tears of joy.

"Oh geez," Karin facepalmed. "Hm?" Karin looked around.

"What?" Ichigo asked, wondering what kind of problem she detected now.

"I thought you'd be here with your all time favorite girlfriend Rukia."

Isshin and Yuzu suddenly realized it too. Ichigo sighed, feeling their eyes on him. "Where is my beautiful daughter-in-law!?" Isshin shouted, grabbing Ichigo's shoulders and shaking him violently. Karin sighed, leaving the room with Yuzu and Kon.

Ichigo looked away, highly annoyed. It had been a week since they broke up. In less than a minute, Rukia managed to destroy all of him. "It didn't work out," Ichigo sighed, slumping onto the couch while eating a few cookies that Yuzu baked earlier.

Isshin gasped, horrified. He instantly blamed Ichigo for their break up. "You gotta know the way to a woman's heart; you gotta love her tenderly!" Isshin threw his arm over Ichigo's shoulders.

Ichigo shrugged, "Yeah, whatever," he crossed his arms behind his head. "It was bound to happen anyway. What did I find in her anyway? She's not even my type." Rukia's short, abusive, and an A cup - totally the type he'd never go for. Ichigo was into beautiful, big breasted women, not little girls like Rukia. "Ow!" Ichigo yelped, feeling Isshin smack him across the head.

"You know what you're doing right now? You're in denial," Isshin shoved a finger into his son's face. "I saw the way you were crying when you carried her over here when she was sick! How can you say you don't love her-"

"I had water on my face because it was raining that day, not because I was crying!" The two pushed their foreheads against each other like bulls.

"Go apologize to Rukia-chan!" Isshin demanded.

"No way!" Ichigo shouted. There was no reason why Ichigo should go apologize to Rukia when it was clearly her fault why they separated. She spat harsh words at him and left him behind like trash. If anyone had been wronged, it was himself, thought Ichigo. "Rukia doesn't need me, so obviously I don't need her."

Isshin finally calmed, seeing the seriousness in Ichigo's eyes. "I know you don't mean that, son." Isshin rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and his index finger. He tried to explain to Ichigo in the best way he could. "I am not forcing you to go see Rukia because I think it's your fault. I am doing it because I know you're stubborn."

Ichigo scoffed, looking away, uninterested. What's done was done. Why did his father have to keep bringing up the subject? "What's the point of pursuing someone when they won't even look at you anymore?" Ichigo mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Do you honestly believe that she doesn't love you anymore?"

"She said so herself, and even if she was lying, I hate her for being a coward and not standing up to her brother."

Isshin sighed, "Women are really frustrating aren't they?"

"You just realized?" Ichigo asked, laughing wearily. "Just leave it be. There are tons of more women out there. I'll be back up on my feet in no time."

Isshin slapped Ichigo's back; he glared at his father. "But why go through all that trouble when you've already found the one?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at his father. Rukia? The one? Yeah right. Rukia had her many flaws. She was insecure, absolutely humorless, and not fun at all... but despite all that, Ichigo had fallen in love with her. Despite having flaws, she had many more great features that outweighed the bad. Rukia accepted him for who he was, she loved him in the best way she knew how, and perhaps it were her mistakes that saved Ichigo from being a reckless guy.

"Look son... I'll stop pestering you after this, so I'll just say it now: If it's going to end, make sure you have no regrets about it." Isshin patted Ichigo on the shoulder and then left him to contemplate alone.

When Ichigo was completely alone, the tough guy act dropped. He sighed, placing his hand over his eyes, rubbing them to somehow get rid of the headache he had. _'I felt absolutely nothing...' _Ichigo grabbed a pillow from the couch, throwing it across the room. He hated the silence because it didn't distract him from recalling the cruel words Rukia told him. Something... he needed something to distract him.

Ichigo's hand slipped into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone.

* * *

**1 Week Earlier**

"What is it, nii-sama?" Rukia asked, tilting her head down. She kneeled before him, sitting on a cushion. Byakuya barely made an effort to recognize her presence. Now that she was living with Byakuya again, she practically had no freedom.

Byakuya's house was a large traditional home. It had its own Japanese garden in the yard, a pond full of large koi fish, and a handful of maids that cleaned the place and served their needs. Byakuya grabbed his cup, lifting it to his lips and sipping on the warm tea. Rukia flinched, feeling his grey eyes on her. "You went to go see that boy today?"

"No. I was just packing up my belongings," Rukia told. "I cut it off with him... so he won't be a bother anymore."

Byakuya heard Rukia sniffling; her eyes were slightly red. It was obvious that she had been crying. Byakuya glanced down at Rukia's lap, seeing her fists clench tightly onto the edge of her clothes. "Stop that; it's a bad habit."

Rukia apologized.

"How old are you now?" Byakuya asked. Despite them being brother and sister, he didn't know a thing about her, nor did she. They spoke like strangers and that was that.

"Twenty-three," Rukia replied.

Byakuya nodded to himself. He reached down and grabbed the brush that was lying beside a piece of paper; Rukia sat there awkwardly as he practiced his calligraphy and ignored her. Finally, he spoke, "It's about time you got married, isn't it?"

Rukia shifted uncomfortably at the subject. Marriage? Was he so eager to marry her off so that she'd stop being his burden? Rukia's eyes fell to the ground. Of course, she couldn't say anything to him. He took her under his wing - how could she ever defy him? "Y-Yes... it is," she said, though quite reluctant.

"I'm glad that you agree," Byakuya said, though he really didn't even seem to care. Even if Rukia didn't agree, he would've forced her into marriage anyway. "There is already a list of candidates for you. A _miai _will be prepared soon."

Rukia hid behind her hair; her eyes widened at the news. Byakuya had already planned everything out without her knowing. "I understand," Rukia whispered. "Please excuse me," Rukia stood up, leaving. She shut the fusuma behind her, finally sighing in distress. There was no way she was okay with the situation.

* * *

**Present**

"So what do you do for a living, Kuchiki-san?"

"Please stop with the creepy act; it's totally unlike you," Rukia laughed, pointing her chopsticks at Ukitake. They both came to eat out at a well known izakaya shop nearby. Of course, it wasn't a date or anything. It was simply practice to help Rukia become sociable so that she'd meet her brother's expectations and find a man to marry soon. "Ah," she sighed, drinking her glass of water. "What should I say in this kind of situation?"

Ukitake smiled, "It'll be fine. You've already got the charm. All you need to do now is get rid of that wall of ice surrounding you."

Rukia moaned. She propped her chin on her palm, "What if I'm not good enough?"

Ukitake didn't answer. He poured her a cup of sake, "Have some confidence." Rukia shook her head, drinking the wine. "Though it really surprised me that Byakuya suggested that you get married."

"How so?"

Ukitake shrugged, stuffing some pork meat into his mouth. "Well, I really don't like to speak behind people's back but I don't know... I find his actions quite hypocritical." When Rukia asked what he meant by that, Ukitake told her, "Your brother married a while back. It wasn't arranged and I do know that his family was disappointed with the woman he chose to marry."

"Her name was Hisana, right?" Rukia asked. She heard of the woman's name a few times, but never really felt it was her place to dig into Byakuya's past. Hisana was Byakuya's late wife, so it was a sensitive topic that Rukia didn't want to touch upon with her brother.

Ukitake nodded. "Well, that's how the story goes." Ukitake looked at his wristwatch, "Ah, it's about time I left. Come, I'll take you home-"

"Thank you, but I'll stay here for a little longer."

Ukitake gave a faint smile. "Don't worry, everything will fall into place." With that, he left.

Rukia sighed. She was so tired of everyone telling her that everything was going to be okay. So far, nothing has been. She was back where she started, as a lonely woman who was doomed to be miserable.

"Ichigo! Come on, you've been drinking all this time. I'm not paying you to confide in me!"

Rukia looked over at the far table in the room, seeing a loud woman screaming at some poor man. Rukia gasped, quickly lifting the menu to her face. She hid behind it, but held it so that it was just below her eyes. "What's Ichigo doing here?" she asked herself. Sure enough, Ichigo was drinking himself away like he had just lost everything in his bank account.

The woman Ichigo was with was clearly unhappy. When Ichigo finally passed out, she looked around before slipping her hand into his pocket and taking his wallet along with his money.

Rukia gawked at the scene. "How rude," Rukia murmured, seeing the woman leave Ichigo behind. It didn't take long before the owner of the place came over to Ichigo, trying to wake him up.

"Hey! You gotta pay for all these drinks you know?"

Rukia wasn't sure what she was thinking, but before she realized, she pulled out her credit card. "Sir, I'll pay for it." The owner turned around, staring at Rukia like she was a madwoman. Ichigo was dead asleep.

"Do you even know the guy? I'll just sell him to the yakuza or something; there's no need for a pretty little lady like you to pay for this idiot."

"It's fine, really."

The owner took a good look at Ichigo and sighed, "Alright, but he's your responsibility."

With that, Rukia found herself stumbling out of the shop with Ichigo leaning against her. His arm draped over her shoulders while he was barely conscious. He groaned; Rukia gagged at the smell of alcohol in his breath. "Smells... like strawberries," he murmured, sniffing her hair. "Rukia?" he opened his eyes halfway.

Angry, Rukia set him down on a nearby bench. "Stupid!" she shouted, waking Ichigo up. He blinked dumbly, though he was still quite drunk. "Didn't you hear me when I said that it's not the end of the world? I leave you and the next thing I know, you're going around humping girls again!?"

Ichigo closed his eyes, jolting awake again when he heard Rukia screaming at him.

"Ichigo," Rukia said sternly. Ichigo looked up at her miserably. "Don't let me be your only reason for living a happy life. You have your father, sisters, friends... Understand that you are important to them. It's selfish for you to go out and do this stupid thing that you do."

Ichigo squinted his eyes, trying to make out Rukia's figure. "You said... that you wouldn't even care if I disappeared. Why... tell me this now?"

Rukia felt a pang of hurt in her chest. Of course, she meant none of that. Rukia pulled the scarf she wore off her neck, wrapping it around Ichigo. She placed her tiny arms around him, holding him close to her heart. "If you disappeared, every day that passes would be meaningless." She wasn't sure why she was telling him all of this, but perhaps it was because she knew he wouldn't recall a single thing in the morning. "I'm going to be married soon, so forget about me."

Ichigo nuzzled against her. "Then marry me... that way I won't ever have to forget about you."

Rukia trembled, feeling weak. She tried her best to smile. "Maybe in the next life."

* * *

"Tatsuki-chan! I'm going to make soup with squid, cheese, and-"

"No thanks, I'll pass," Tatsuki waved her hand. Orihime tended to make... _interesting _food. Noticing her clumsy friend's pout, Tatsuki assured her, "I'm sure it'll taste delicious but uh, I already ate before I came here," she lied. Tatsuki was at Orihime's place; she was visiting town for a few days and needed a place to sleep.

"Okay!" Orihime nodded happily, easily falling for Tatsuki's obvious lie. She threw in whatever she found in her fridge into the pot of boiling water.

Tatsuki flipped the channels on T.V., "Boooring," she moaned. "Hey, Orihime?" she asked in a loud voice so that Orihime could hear from the kitchen. "How's Ichigo? I heard he finally came back home when I visited his family. I didn't see him there though."

Orihime stopped cutting the carrots; she nearly sliced her finger off at the mentioning of Ichigo. She scratched her head, "He's doing good!"

"Well it's about time he came home. That idiot... I oughta give him a thousand knuckles for running away and making everyone worry."

Orihime shook her head, trying to get the thought off her head. She called Ichigo a few days ago, and when he told her that he saw Rukia, she was glad... until Ichigo said that it was over between him and Rukia. Orihime could hear it in his voice that he wasn't doing okay, despite him telling her that he was perfectly fine.

"Hey, earth to Orihime! Your phone is ringing," Tatsuki said, wondering what was bothering Orihime. She washed her hands and picked up the phone. Tatsuki frowned, seeing Orihime nod. She worried when Orihime began to look frantic; her usual smile disappeared. "What's wrong?" Tatsuki asked.

Orihime grabbed her coat that hung on the wall, "I'm just going to get more ingredients for dinner," she said, closing the door behind her. After walking for ten minutes in the night, Orihime finally arrived at the Kurosaki Clinic. "Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia stood stiff as a board, greeting Orihime awkwardly. "I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience. I wish I had the courage to bring Ichigo to his family, but I really can't face his family..."

Ichigo slept on the ground, still drowsy. Orihime frowned, upset to see Ichigo so heartbroken. He was such a mess, and clearly it was all Rukia's fault. "What right did you have to say those hurtful words to Kurosaki-kun?"

Rukia looked away, feeling Orihime's glare on her. Rukia tried her best to avoid conflict. "Please take care of Ichigo-"

"He loves you!" Orihime exclaimed. "Don't you think it's unfair to just abandon Kurosaki-kun like this?" Orihime stepped to Rukia's side so that Rukia was forced to look at her. "If I were you, I'd cherish him and love him."

There was a brief silence. Orihime couldn't tell what Rukia was thinking. Rukia looked over at Ichigo and back at Orihime. "Then why don't you take my place and love him for me-"

Rukia's face turned to the side. She felt a sharp pain on her cheek. Orihime panted, lowering her hand after slapping Rukia. "If it's that easy for you to toss him aside, then you don't deserve him." Orihime walked over to Ichigo's side, lifting him up. She turned to Rukia one last time, "I know you're only leaving Kurosaki-kun behind because of your brother... but you shouldn't use that as an excuse to run away. And if you must know, I could never take your place because the only one Kurosaki-kun loves is you. You know that best, don't you?"

Of course, Rukia knew it best.

* * *

**A/N:** Woot! Orihime-powaaaah! Hope you all don't mind that Rukia got bitch-slapped by her. I mean, c'mon. We all wanted to slap Rukia after what happened in the last chapter ;)

Anyway... most of you cried to me and asked why I separated them in the last chapter, and so I say this (and I mean it): I got _everythaaaang_ under control! I know there is so much angst, but I'm telling you over and over - I got this! Don't fret!

It may seem bad now, but that's just part of the process! ^^

Y'know? Every good thing that we want in life is always hard to get, but in the end, it'll be worth it ;)


	19. Home (End)

**"Home"**

"Rukia-chan?" Isshin gasped, pulling Rukia into the house along with Ichigo, who was still unconscious. After getting slapped by Orihime earlier, Rukia felt she should at least take Ichigo home herself. Rukia laughed nervously, seeing tears of joy streaming down Isshin's face. "Whatever my idiot son did, I'll apologize on his behalf-"

"No, that's fine," Rukia spoke quickly. The one who had to apologize was her, honestly. "Coincidentally, I bumped into Ichigo earlier. He seemed to be..." She glanced at Ichigo, who was asleep on the floor with his butt in the high in the air. Rukia laughed a little. Too bad she wouldn't be around to make fun of him; she sighed.

Isshin's tears returned. "S-So you're not getting back together?" He held a handkerchief to his eyes. Rukia stammered. "It wasn't coincidence - it was fate!"

Rukia wondered what fate meant. Was it her destiny to be with Ichigo? If so, why was it so hard to find happiness with him? "The reason Ichigo is like this is because of me; it's my fault and I'm sorry." Sorry seemed to be the only word she knew how to say now, though, it was the only word she couldn't bring herself to say to Ichigo.

Isshin sighed, knowing he couldn't change Rukia's mind. He threw Ichigo over his shoulder like a potato sack. "Well, I wouldn't want to waste your time any further. Despite how things turned out, I'm glad Ichigo met you."

Rukia looked at Ichigo one last time, feeling calm whenever she'd spot his spiky orange hair. Would this really be her last time seeing him, she thought? This farewell seemed so bitter. It was at that moment, for some odd reason, that something _finally _clicked. Seeing Ichigo's family, remembering the rainy days she and Ichigo spent together, and just thinking that she could be happy - her home was here.

Rukia realized that if she left now and married some other man, she would only look back to this day and ask herself, 'why'? "I'm glad I met Ichigo too," Rukia replied. "Kurosaki-san, I'll definitely return and make things right again, but I must do something first."

Isshin was a little surprised at Rukia's sudden determination. "Okay then," he nodded, "you do what you have to do. Ichigo will be right here when you come back; trust me, he's not going anywhere with the hangover he's going to have in the morning," he laughed barbarically.

Rukia smiled, "I won't keep him waiting."

* * *

**The Kuchiki Household**

Rukia held her head low, waiting for Byakuya's response. She dared to look up, flinching when she saw his cold gaze. No, she wouldn't look away. She had to do this now; it was now or never. Byakuya glowered, yet he still remained calm. Even so, Rukia could tell he was not pleased. "I said... I'm not going to settle with an arranged marriage."

Never would Byakuya dream that his adopted sister would go against his wishes. Not even a wrinkle was shown on his face. It was like he was so confident that Rukia would back down soon that he didn't even need to bother taking her seriously. He waited, just letting the silence scare her. A minute passed and he was still waiting. Finally, he looked up to see her still there. "You're indebted to the Kuchiki family. Are you still bold enough to refute me?"

Rukia bit her bottom lip. Indeed, she owed her life to Byakuya. If he hadn't picked up her off the streets, she would probably be living under a bridge right now. "Please, nii-sama," she begged persistently, "all my life I've made choices that would please you to just get you to acknowledge me. For once, I want to be selfish and do something for myself." Rukia placed her hands on the floor and bowed, "I'm not a dependent little girl anymore. If you want to throw me out of the Kuchiki family, then so be it."

Truthfully, Rukia was praying that there would be a slight chance that Byakuya would let her have a free will and still be able to be a Kuchiki. Being Byakuya's sister wasn't just a burden that was placed on her. He was her first real family - to lose him would be as equally devastating as losing Ichigo. Despite the fact that she and Byakuya aren't close, there was still something that tied them together.

Rukia frowned, seeing Byakuya stand up and walk towards the exit. He stopped momentarily, looking over his shoulder and to her. "You remind me of myself..." he murmured, probably not intending for her to hear. "Follow me," he gestured her over.

Rukia hesitated, unsure what Byakuya was up to, but followed after him anyway. They both crossed the garden and to another part of the mansion that Rukia had never been to before. Of course, there were many places here that Rukia was never able to explore because she was either forbidden to or she didn't have enough time to search the entire place. Afterall, the place was huge.

After walking around corners and entering new territory, they came to a stop. Without explaining, Byakuya opened the door which lead to a partially empty room. The only thing that was there was a table that was decorated with vases of flowers, candles, and a single portrait. "Nii-sama," Rukia took a step back, feeling like she was intruding.

"Do you know who she is?" Byakuya asked, referring to the woman in the photo.

Of course Rukia knew who it was. The woman was young and beautiful. Her eyes were soft and gentle, much like the delicate sakura petals. "Lady Hisana, she is..." For once, she witnessed a different side to Byakuya. He stared for a long time at the portrait, adoring his late wife. His yearning eyes softened as he turned to Rukia.

"My late wife... and also your biological sister." Rukia's eyes lit with surprise. Before she could ask, Byakuya continued, "She abandoned you when you were an infant, but never stopped looking for you. Hisana loved you more than anything in the world." He turned back to the portrait, lost in thought.

Tons of questions raced through Rukia's mind, but she couldn't find a single thing to say.

"When I decided to marry her into the Kuchiki family, I broke the rules. I swore I'd never break another rule to my family, and then I found you. Hisana wanted me to find you; it was her last wish. When I adopted you as my sister, I broke the rules again."

Rukia blinked stupidly. "I-I'm sorry," she said awkwardly.

Byakuya scoffed. "You're a Kuchiki now; do as you wish. If you want to break the rules too, then that's on you."

Rukia gaped, gawking at Byakuya. Was he really giving her consent? Despite the way he phrased it, she could tell that he was fine with whatever choice she made. It was his own way of showing that he cared. "Thank you, nii-sama... but before I make a choice, I want to know from the man whose footsteps I may experience soon. Did you have any regrets?"

"Marrying Hisana and adopting you into the family were one of the prouder decisions I made in life."

* * *

**Kurosaki Household**

"Oh my god..." Ichigo groaned, pushing his palms against his eyes, rubbing them to somehow get the headache in his head to go away. Beneath him, he could feel the warmth of his bed and sheets. "I shouldn't have that last drink," he rolled to his side, wincing even more when it felt like his brain was being stabbed with heated needles. Ichigo's eyes slit open halfway. He saw a familiar figure sitting beside him. "And now I'm hallucinating," he deadpanned, seeing Rukia.

Rukia sat in Ichigo's rolling chair with her arms crossed. Her brows were slightly raised in worry and her lips were pulled down so that she was frowning.

"Are you happy? The reason why I'm like this is because of you," Ichigo accused, glaring at Rukia's 'doppelganger.' Her eyes only seemed to narrow. "I almost slept with this chick last night, but unfortunately I just couldn't get in the mood; she called me gay for not being able to get it up," Ichigo laughed, pointing to his groin.

"I'm sorry," Rukia apologized.

Ichigo blinked stupidly. He reached out with one hand, tapping Rukia's thigh with his finger. "Y-... You're real?" His eyes widened as he scrambled to explain himself. "I- You- ah..." He scratched his head, blushing with embarrassment. Goddamn. He didn't want her to think he was _useless _without her, but now that he just practically admitted it... "What are you doing here?"

"I promised I'd be back, didn't I?" Ichigo blinked stupidly, remembering the promise Rukia made to him when it was snowing the night she left with Byakuya. "Sorry, I'm a little late." Her lips curved into a regretful smile. She was embarrassed to be here like this. She hurt him so much and here she was just waltzing back into Ichigo's life.

"You're here... to stay?" Ichigo asked, just waiting for this wonderful dream to collapse any second now.

Rukia nodded, "That is... if you haven't changed your mind."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, still holding a grudge. He held his nose in the air and crossed his arms, "Only if you have a satisfying apology speech to deliver."

Rukia glared, already knowing that this was coming. "Okay, I'll make this quick and easy." She stood up from her chair; Ichigo widened his eyes when she got on her knee.

"Y-You don't have to beg-"

"I'm not begging," Rukia replied cooly. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a small black box. Carefully, she opened it, revealing two matching rings, "Will you marry me, Ichigo?"

There was a long silence before Ichigo barked out in a slow laugh. He waved his finger, "A proposal? This has got to be the first. You really are going to extremes to seek my forgiveness, aren't you?" Rukia didn't laugh. "A-... Are you serious?"

Rukia blushed, looking away shyly. "Do you still recall the day we first met? You were sitting outside in the rain and I came up to you with an absurd request for you to help me find love and in return, I'd give you a home."

Ichigo chuckled, remembering the details clearly. "How could I forget? The lonely businesswoman asking me, a stray dog, to help her... how classic."

Rukia laughed along. "Little did I know though that the love I was searching for would be you. And I never gave you a home; you gave me one. Because of you, I finally have a place to come home to." Rukia held the rings higher, "I can't say this in a romantic way, but I love you. So please... marry me." Ichigo grabbed Rukia by the waist, helping her to her feet. "Ichigo..." He swiftly pulled her into a deep kiss, colliding against her. In the kiss, it was almost as if she was begging him, begging him to forgive her.

Finally, the kiss ended. Rukia looked into his eyes, "Say something, anything..."

Ichigo grinned, "So that nonexistent girl still exists... and I'm still madly in love with her." He leaned in, kissing Rukia again.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N: **And so our journey ends here :')

Sorry if it seemed abrupt, but I decided that the angst needed to die out and so I added lots-ah love in here, because we all know that love is the cure to anything :)

And I do apologize, but there will not be an epilogue because lord knows I suck at writing them.

Again, thanks so much for everyone who has read my story from beginning to end. And as promised, the happy ending was reached!


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